Puja (left) and Lovey share a laugh at Lovey’s bungalow and factory in Tollygunge

Kookie Jar opened its doors way back in 1985 in a very tiny space on Rawdon Street armed with a team of 20. It had a dream debut as its cakes, patties and pastries flew off the counters in mere hours. Lovey Barman, the soul of Kookie Jar, has come a long way since and her confectionery today ranks amongst the finest in the country.

Lovey was born and brought up in Calcutta where her father ran a textile business. After doing her schooling from La Martiniere, she graduated from Presidency College and then married Shekhar Barman, a businessman from UP. Since her childhood, Lovey has been fascinated by the different cuisines of the world and recipes that are innovative. And in her childhood passion, she found her professional calling.

Her sister Puja is the second of three siblings. Their younger brother, a scientist, is settled abroad in New York. Despite the three-and-a-half years difference between the sisters, Lovey and Puja are the best of friends. After doing her schooling from Dalhousie’s Sacred Heart Convent, Puja completed her graduation in English from St Xavier’s College. Though she trained for a while in fashion designing, she gave it up to join Lovey in the confectionery business. Today the sisters and their mother, Mridu Kapur, run the business jointly. The siblings work in tandem, Lovey taking charge of production at Kookie Jar as well as all the front-end operations while Puja efficiently manages the administrative and financial parts of the business.

Lovey:

We grew up like twins and even though Puja is the younger one, our age difference didn’t matter at all. She was a lively kid ? pretty, cute, talkative and full of pranks. I went to boarding school at Dalhousie when I was only eight years old and Puja joined me a year later. She grew to become one of the most popular boarders ? especially since she was brave and smart.

I was the softer of the two and missed home and our parents dearly. And despite being the younger one, Puja gave me the much-needed psychological support that I needed. She’s been my best friend through the years and I always felt that I didn’t have to reach outside home in search of a buddy. Since we have always been close, we don’t need a third person around us when we are together. And though Puja is a very private person, we share our confidences. Her greatest virtue is that she is always there for people she cares for.

As a result I think we make a good team professionally. Puja is sharp and intelligent, is great with calculations and understands the business very well. Being a people’s person, she has the ability to reach out and make friends. This goes a long way at work, as besides dealing with our customers, we also have to work in sync with a huge team. And Puja gets along with them famously. But Puja and I never get in each other’s way at work, despite being highly dependent on each.

While we have a lot in common, there is an area where we differ ? I love to bake and cook and she hates cooking. She gets quite impatient with the long processes involved in baking cakes and cookies.

There’s really little about Puja that I’d like to change. But she does tend to get a little emotional and sentimental, which I think she should control.

Puja:

Since we went to hostel together, I have grown up with Lovey right by my side. Our childhood was all about sharing clothes and enjoying similar tastes. While Lovey, my mother and I run the business together, it is Lovey who is the guiding spirit and driving force of the show.

Lovey has been passionate about cooking since her childhood. I remember her baking mouth-watering cookies and cakes even when we were kids. Her cakes were much in demand for her friends’ birthday parties. She continued to experiment with cake and chocolate recipes even after she was married. Lovey’s in-laws appreciated her talent for cooking but theirs being a conservative family, she was not allowed to take it up commercially.

From baking cakes for friends, Lovey realised that there was a demand for her confectionery products. Our parents too realised that she was serious about starting her own business. That’s how the Rawdon Street shop came into being. It was a gift from our father to Lovey on her wedding anniversary.

I must say that it’s a great experience working with Lovey. Over the years, I have learnt such a lot from her. Her dedication, sincerity and perseverance is amazing and she has been a great inspiration to me.

I try my best to emulate her professionally. But she is also a tough task master and perfectionist. She has a sharp eye for detail and can detect mistakes instantly. We’ve had to cope with some tough situations at work, but she has managed to solve the problems with ease. I recall the day when our entire work-force quit en masse to set up a shop next door. Kookie Jar had to down its shutters. A re-launch would have been near impossible had it not been for her determination and stamina. However, I think we both know how to fight back and in each other, we have a great support system

It’s not just me, but Lovey feels for the people around her. If she loses her temper with anyone, she is immediately apologetic for saying things in the heat of the moment. I love that about her. We are usually around each other and will always be there for one another.

Photograph by Goutam Roy