Shrewsbury @ kayani

These heavenly discs at poona cantonment transport me to my childhood days and memories of Pune in 1970-1980
The world has changed since then and pune too. The food the culture and the taste of consumers too.
But kayani bakery still stands rocksolid at  Pune camp  selling the same  old bakery goodies   from recipes well preserved over the years.
The mawa cake, plum cake, wine biscuits  are to name a few. The king of all is however the famous Shrewsbury biscuits which flow out faster than the traffic of pune.
Biting into one of those buttery light flavoured biscuit is one big luxury. The effort that goes into procurement of them from the source is as much a task as it may be to bake them. (only if we had the right knowhow)
When you are not a punekar or not a Pune  camp residence you have to manage your trip to kayani between their working hours. Just like the chitale bandhu kayani too believes in the afternoon siesta and take a lunch break only to restart their business at 3.30pm
This hurdle is still predictable and manageable the worst is after getting there and waiting in the queue you are told the precious stock of  Shrewsbury is over for the day. That moment you suddenly realise how a hero would feel if his lover was married off to someone else because he was a little late.
Assuming we were successful in crossing both these  hurdles after waiitng in the long queue on feels that immense pride and sense of achievement holding the cardboard box namely **Trophy SHREWSBURY **
In both your hands and you walk out of the shop with a sense of achievement similar to what a mom feels after a successful PTM at school.
Many smart new  bakeries have taken it to heart to break huge aura created by these elite biscuits and have tried their hand replicating them. They can fool us to some extend if the biscuits are served on a plate at  tea. But after the first bite the real kayani  devotees would frown and ask "Are these from Kayani?"

If you said yes then their  confident pallette would further ask
"Have you personally got it from Kayani"
They are sure that you are too armature and the local guy roundthe corner has made you believe he has the original kayani biscuits and has palmed off a local bakery  Shrewsbury as the originals.
Just like a duplicate  sabyasachi available at chandani chowk only the true admirer can see the difference
So here we are with  the authentic kayani Shrewsbury trophy returning home waiting for the applause from our family on seeing the familiar grey blue cardboard box (now the box has new look mind you only the box)
Now I know why the term bread *winner* was coined.
It's biscuit winner in our case

By this time one gets really so possessive with the hard earned biscuits that I start showing signs right from how to store them. Nowadays it's only Tupperware for them  they don't deserve anything less.
Then I decide when to serve them. The golden rule is when Shrewsbury highness is served there would be no room for any another snacks with tea that evening. It's Shrewsbury and Shrewsbury only.
They are to be served to guests who know what they are eating and are aware of the privilege we have bestowed upon them.
For guests who are not aware I tear off a packet picked up from any departmental store. Shrewsbury can't go unnoticed by anyone. I take it as  a  personal  insult.
At tea you could discuss anything or  there could be silence but there has to  be a compliment made in favour of these delicately floured crisp fresh biscuits. Atleast on the first day of its arrival or the first day of the guest's arrival whichever comes first.
Last but lot the least I go a step ahead I have laid a ban on dipping Shrewsbury in tea like we do with the lesser mortals called glucose, Marie or good day biscuits.
How can you alter the taste of this devine stuff and equate it to the commoners.
I am not willing to argue on this point even if someone says the butter in the biscuit tastes better when dipped in hot tea
You can't do that in my house I am sure about it. If it's my famiy they have to obey and if the guest does it they would certainly not get these biscuits the next time they are around . Good day for and to them.
Let the saga of kaayani live for ever.
The tradition and culture of pune that  would remain unchanged  for years to come