Any seasoned Calcuttan will agree that if the word “heritage” has to be applied to an eatery or food or even specific items of food, then Flurys takes the cake. When their doors first opened on Park Street a modest 80-plus years ago, they stole people’s hearts with their excellent Swiss confectionery, setting and design — the very walls made of glass so that you were almost on the street like an alfresco place without actually being there. And what a street. Arguably the coolest stretch in the country when it comes to wining, dining and entertainment. And personality.

What I always liked about Flurys was that if you walked in through one door you were in the confectionery section and all their excellent sweet and savoury items, breads and cakes awaited you. In through the other door and you could sit down and from a slow, leisurely pot of tea or coffee and breakfast to mini meals based on their sandwiches and snacks selections, you could spend quality time. All by yourself with a book, over even two hours, and nobody bothered. They could easily have slipped up and offered guests a proper restaurant-like a la carte menu for lunch and become like many other Park Street places and lose their identity, but they never did.

Eighty-plus is a long innings and there have obviously been some ups and downs, but as I write this there’s no doubt in my mind that Flurys is enjoying an excellent run. The good old feeling; you can sense the focus and the energy and I had an interesting experience the other day which not only confirmed a few things but also worked like an eye-opener. For example, I had no idea that there are more than a dozen outlets in the city now for Flurys products. Most of them are like confectionery shops where you can buy and take away or stand at a counter and grab a bite, but there is also a 45-seater at Avani Mall in Howrah which is much like the mother branch on Park Street.

I learned all this on the way to visit the latest addition, at CK 40, Sector II, Salt Lake. This is a small, compact and tastefully designed store where all the confectionery items come from the main Flurys factory. Items that have existed for six to eight decades were all there. Baba Cakes (a fruit cake raised with yeast), Chocolate Ovals, Rum Balls, mutton, chicken and cheese patties, chicken envelopes, corn envelopes, quiches and three varieties of freshly baked bread.

Born with a big mouth, it was hard to stop eating or talking, and I learnt a lot that revealed just how fierce the commitment is to preserving the Flurys heritage. No artificial colours or flavours are used. No preservatives or processed ingredients. No margarine, only butter. (You can taste this.) The shelf life of every product is only 24 hours. Everyday what is made is as per the needs of all the outlets and things do fall short sometimes but nothing ever comes back to get recycled. That day, the last Mutton Patty vanished before my very eyes just before I could order it and it was only 2pm. They hand-make their own fondant (a type of sugar syrup, made crusty), their own marzipan and whatever can possibly be done by hand is done just that way. Some recipes are 83 years old.

There are a few more contemporary items like the Cherry and Mango Trifle, the Mango and Caramel Yogurt Mousse and among the savouries, an “achaari” patty with an Indian twist.

Another feature is that the tastes are invariably subtle and not in-your-face. Some patties have only ground white pepper and salt and no other seasoning or ingredient within. True to their European tradition. If Flurys were to be benchmarked against bakeries, chocolateries or pattisseries worldwide, they would not do badly.

That’s heritage.

BITERIGHT

What: Sizzling Sizzler
Where: Ocean Grill, first floor, Infinity Benchmark, Sector V, Salt Lake
When: Noon to 10.30pm
On the menu: In this new section added to the existing menu, as the name suggests, sizzlers occupy centre stage, what with a range from Grilled Lobster Sizzler to Cottage Cheese Steak Sizzler. From octopus to salmon, bekti or pomfret, you’d find them all on the sizzler menu. So drop in for a mostly piscine repast. There is also a nod to meatlovers in the guise of Grilled Chicken Pepper Steak Sizzler or the Roast Chicken Sizzler.
Pocket pinch: A meal for two will come to about Rs 1,000 for vegetarians and Rs 1,200 for non-vegetarians. Taxes extra.