Pâtisserie Tout De Sweet: Sharfaa Boodoo Invites You to a Tasting of Gourmet Pastries

Pâtisserie Tout De Sweet: Sharfaa Boodoo invites you to a tasting of gourmet pastries.

Sharfaa Boodoo represents a golden age of pastry-making in Plaine-Verte and beyond. She successfully transitions to modern pastry-making, catering to the expectations of Port Louis residents post-2000, all while staying true to the traditional cakes offered in her shop, Tout De Sweet.

For too long, pastry chefs have remained in the shadows of cooks, but today they are reclaiming their glory thanks to bold women who are shaking up the norms of traditional Mauritian pastry.

At the corner of China and Magon streets in Port Louis, anyone stepping into Tout De Sweet is tempted by the allure of indulgence due to the variety available. Sharfaa Boodoo, warm and smiling, embodies this new generation of pastry chefs. She is supported by her parents and her young employee, Warda. Together, they bridge modern expectations with traditional customer tastes.

Three factors have enabled Sharfaa to meet these expectations: a lifelong passion for cooking, a degree in Business Administration that helps her target the right clientele, and an unwavering dedication to excellence.

"We cannot afford to compromise on quality and timelines, as the competition is fierce. If a customer is lost for one day, it's manageable, but if it stretches to two days, they'll look elsewhere. Trust is lost. We must not overlook these details," she explains.

Since opening her bakery in 2019 with her parents' support, Sharfaa has consistently prioritized quality. "Our menu features around 50 items, with some pastries selling out quickly depending on the clientele," she reveals. Sharfaa, the daughter of Yusuff, a doctor, and Sultana, a homemaker from St-François, initially trained in pastry making at a training center after her studies. "I learned the techniques of pastry making, including how to prepare dough for pastries, croissants, and other confections, and how to choose the right creams," she confides. She further honed her skills in a bakery in Arsenal, where she became familiar with custom pastries and decorations.

However, the desire to start her own business soon took over. She vividly remembers December 2029, when her bakery opened: "I found a location where I am now. Since it was previously a store selling lampshades, I needed a suitable budget to make the necessary renovations for a bakery. A special kitchen was required, complete with a cake oven, display cases, and decorations."

"It wasn’t easy; I wasn't known, so I started by making traditional cakes and others like blue and red velvet cheesecakes," she shares. Between renovations, setting up equipment, and preparing recipes for the display, Sharfaa quickly realized she held her future in her hands: "I never wanted to work in an office between four walls; I needed to move, engage, share, and face challenges. I was ready to put all my efforts into what was my calling."

As with many businesses around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted operations, forcing shops to close. The economic consequences of the pandemic were exacerbated by the depreciation of the rupee, rising freight costs, and increases in the prices of imported basic goods.

"Fortunately, my parents helped me with the reopening, but production costs had risen for everyone, and this affected retail prices. Thankfully, all Mauritians understood this," she emphasizes.

With a few part-time employees, her mother alternating at the cash register with Warda and her father occasionally handling deliveries and transporting raw materials, Sharfaa managed to bounce back. She remarks, "Warda is everywhere: in the kitchen perfecting her skills, at the cash register welcoming customers, and behind the screens ensuring the bakery's digital presence."

Fully committed to creating her cakes, while balancing production costs and other fixed expenses, Sharfaa also keeps a keen eye on customer feedback. "This is a crucial element for any merchant: you need to know if you're on the right track. For now, everything is going well. I have a loyal clientele, especially many young people after school and college, as well as passersby who observe before entering. That’s why we’ve set up a few tables and chairs for them to enjoy hot drinks. Customers pay attention to three things: the welcome, cleanliness, and the quality and variety of cakes. Price is also a determining factor: in Plaine-Verte, if it’s too expensive, people will look elsewhere," she highlights.

Today, after three years running her bakery, she knows her customers' preferences well, from children to adults, especially the youth who are very active on social media. She also observes that Mauritius is increasingly open to gastronomy.

"The challenge now is to offer a variety to attract all types of customers while consolidating diversification and meeting deadlines for orders for holidays, weddings, engagements, birthdays, and more," she explains, adding that her guilty pleasure remains local biryani.