Why I Got Into The Dessert Business?

A customer recently walked into our shop and asked me a simple question:

"Why did you get into the dessert business?"

I smiled for a moment because the answer isn't really about business.

The answer starts much earlier.

Long before Secret Basement Gelato existed.

Long before I knew anything about gelato, frozen desserts, or recipe formulation.

The answer starts with a childhood fascination that never really went away.

My Obsession With Ice Cream Started Early

Ever since I was young, I've loved desserts.

More specifically, I've always been fascinated by ice cream.

There was something magical about it.

No matter where you are in the world, ice cream has a unique ability to make people smile.

It brings excitement to children.

It creates memories for families.

It turns ordinary moments into celebrations.

One of my childhood dreams was to create incredible sundaes and desserts that people would remember.

At the time, it was simply a fascination.

I didn't know that one day it would become a business.

Learning About Ingredients From My Grandfather

Some of my earliest memories involve accompanying my grandfather to wholesale markets.

From the age of five, I spent time walking through markets, seeing ingredients arrive from different places, and watching people evaluate quality.

I learned something important very early in life.

Not all ingredients are equal.

The difference between an average product and an exceptional product often starts with the ingredients themselves.

Those experiences stayed with me.

Even today, whenever I think about creating a new dessert, I think about ingredients first.

Because great products start with great ingredients.

Twenty Years of Exploring Ingredients Across Asia

Looking back, one of the biggest influences on my approach to desserts wasn't a culinary school or a professional kitchen.

It was travel.

Over the last twenty years, I have travelled extensively throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and many other countries.

Wherever I travelled, I found myself drawn to local markets.

Not tourist attractions.

Not shopping malls.

Markets.

I wanted to see what local people were eating.

I wanted to understand ingredients at their source.

I wanted to smell the fruits, taste regional specialties, understand local produce, and see how ingredients changed from country to country.

Over time, those experiences built something that is difficult to describe.

I developed a relationship with ingredients.

I learned how different fruits taste depending on where they are grown.

I learned how ingredients change based on climate, region, and culture.

I began understanding not just flavours, but the stories behind those flavours.

These experiences stayed with me.

Today, when I think about creating a dessert, I don't just think about recipes.

I think about ingredients.

I think about aromas.

I think about textures.

I think about memories.

In many ways, I carry a mental library of ingredients collected over decades of travel and exploration.

When I see an ingredient, I immediately begin imagining possibilities.

I start imagining textures.

I start imagining flavour combinations.

I start imagining what kind of dessert it could become.

Sometimes I joke that I can see myself making ice cream out of almost anything.

But there is some truth in that.

Because when you spend years studying ingredients, tasting them, and understanding their character, you begin seeing them not just for what they are, but for what they could become.

Learning Through Desserts Around The World

My travels weren't only about ingredients.

They were also about experiences.

Over the years, I travelled extensively across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

One of my longest trips was a journey across both the East and West Coasts of the United States that lasted nearly fifty days.

I also travelled through more than thirty cities across seventeen countries in Europe and the Middle East, exploring local cultures, food traditions, and desserts.

Wherever I went, I found myself paying attention to what people enjoyed eating.

Some memories have stayed with me for years.

Enjoying dondurma in Turkey and watching the theatre that comes with every serving.

Experiencing gelato throughout Italy and seeing how seriously flavour and texture are taken.

Trying rich American ice creams during my travels through the United States.

Growing up with iconic desserts such as the banana split at Corner House in Bangalore.

Experiencing Hokkaido-style ice cream from Japan.

Discovering unique dessert concepts in Singapore, where cultures from around the world come together.

Every country had its own interpretation of what makes a great dessert.

Every culture had its own ingredients, techniques, and traditions.

The more I travelled, the more I realized that there is no single definition of a perfect dessert.

What matters is the experience it creates.

Those experiences shaped the way I think about product development today.

When I create a dessert, I don't just think about flavour.

I think about memories.

I think about excitement.

I think about surprise.

And I think about the feeling a customer has when they take that first spoonful.

Why Desserts Fascinate Me

What fascinates me about desserts is that they combine so many different things.

There is creativity.

There is science.

There is craftsmanship.

There is emotion.

A dessert can be visually beautiful.

It can have incredible texture.

It can have memorable flavours.

Most importantly, it can create happiness.

When someone enjoys a great dessert, they aren't thinking about recipes or ingredients.

They're simply enjoying the experience.

That idea has always fascinated me.

Why I Got Into The Dessert Business

Looking back, I didn't get into the dessert business because I saw a business opportunity.

I got into the dessert business because desserts have fascinated me for most of my life.

What started as childhood curiosity became a lifelong interest.

That interest became a passion.

And eventually, that passion became a business.

Today, every product I create is influenced by years of experiences, travels, observations, and a genuine love for desserts.

At the end of the day, desserts are about happiness.

People don't come for ice cream because they have to.

They come because they want a small moment of joy in their day.

And being able to create those moments for other people is one of the reasons I love being in this business.