At Glenary’s, Darjeeling’s beloved bakery, the aroma of fresh bakes mingles with nostalgia and the mountain mist. As the crowd flocks in with cane baskets and red tongs, MasterChef India contestant Dyuti ‘Energy’ Banerjee shares her top five must-haves from this iconic spot. She picks the classics, uncovers underrated gems, and offers a personal take on what makes Glenary’s a timeless culinary destination.
“The bakery section at Glenary’s is bustling with people at 8.30 in the evening, holding cane trays and tongs, in a mad rush for muffins, banana walnut cakes, cream rolls and pastries. I joined in the melee armed with a pair of tell-tale red tongs and a cane basket, and picked up at a speed faster than grabbing ingredients from the MasterChef India pantry! There’s a whole lot of things I love,” said Banerjee.
Custard Cream Roll
A childhood favourite with sticky yellow custard cream, the Glenary’s cream roll is the OG standard of what a cream roll should taste like — flakier on the outside than your non-committal ex, and gooey without being cloyingly sweet inside. Always leaves you wanting a few more to take back for the morning after.
Cheese Pie
Thoroughly underrated, this was my first time trying this unassuming pie sitting on the top shelf of pies. I daresay, this is even better than the bacon quiche and chicken cheese pies, which have always been my favourites. Savoury with the unapologetic saltiness of the cheese inside, this is exactly what a misty Darjeeling evening needs, better with a cup of Darjeeling tea
Bacon Quiche Pie
Relegated to a close third, but still a favourite, this has a crispy thin pie crust, and an eggy, thankfully not over-the-top filling with juicy bacon bits stashed in with a grandmother’s generosity. Must try.
Chocolate Mousse
Predictably good, this mousse, on a thin layer of biscuit is what makes moods and your coffee better. The best part is the decadence of the dark chocolate, making love to your senses, as you dig deeper into it.
Paris Brest
I was sceptical about this new entrant on the Glenary’s shelf, but one bite into the egg-rich pastry layered with a subtle coffee cream, and I knew this was the perfect accompaniment to coffee.
“You may skip the cheesecakes and the pastries, and even the shortbread, which lacked flavour to me. But while there, do not miss taking home the butter cookies with chocolate chips, the rum chocolates and a whole lot of hope borrowed from the gigantic glow sign in front!” summed up the chef.