A B.Com graduate, 20-something Kushboo Lalwani wanted to do something different that would tap her artistic potential after she got her undergraduate degree. And that led her to the business of homemade chocolates. As the proud owner of Chocobraze, her three-year-old business, has become a known name in this business and has some of the top brass in her clientele. In fact, her first customer for homemade chocolates was the editor of Outlook . “Every occasion, be it a birthday or marriage, is a special one and I like to make it more special with my chocolates,” expresses Kushboo.
A starry beginning
She also tried her hand at making chocolate bouquets soon after and they became hugely successful and has a growing demand. “I gave my first chocolate bouquet to actor Kushboo, whom I met at the opening of a pharmaceutical factory,” smiles Kushboo.
While she did face some initial hiccups when she started out, once people started recognising the quality of her chocolates, they kept coming back and became her regular customers. She caters to weddings, birthday parties and other functions as well. “For weddings, I make choco nutty cups and for birthdays, I make something along the lines of colourful lollipops,” says the young entrepreneur. Priced between Rs.200- 4000, Kushboo says that she must have made around 250 chocolate bouquets till now. Her homemade chocolates are priced at Rs.650 per kilogram.
However, Kushboo has not had any formal training in making chocolates. She learnt chocolate making ten years ago in Pune but hasn’t had any other training since then. “My mother is my backbone,” she says. “She helps me in the production process as well as managing the company.” Quizzed about why she hasn’t commercialised her chocolates, Kushboo says that most people prefer international and national chocolate brands available in supermarkets, while she builds her clientele with people who come to her after tasting her chocolates at parties and private functions.
More on the plate
Her latest addition is muffins, which she started making just a month ago. And her first order? “The editor of India Today ,” grins Kushboo. She guarantees that everything is fresh, homemade and has a personal touch to them. Not just in Chennai, people from other states also vie for her chocolates. She has an enviable clientele from Delhi, Rajasthan, Pune and Bangalore as well.
Contact: >www.facebook.com/Chocobraze
