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Pawani Neligama has been a baker since she was 10 – starting off a fledgeling side business as a sous chef to her mother (whisking eggs and licking off batter) before experimenting on her own with recipes from Nigella Lawson and Matt Preston in a grand make-believe cooking show.  By the time she was 15, she started taking her first orders as a home-baker, whipping up strings of goodies for friends and family. Developing a natural passion for food and baking, Pawani went on to study Food Technology in London, learning to analyse food products, dietary requirements and gaps in the market – a skill that she finds immensely useful for her new business – Popo’s Bakes.

While baking sweet treats may have been her forte, what actually kicked off Popo’s Bakes was the sale of fresh juices. “My friends at work kept buying these insanely expensive juices and it used to stress me out! I started to supply them with homemade, budget-friendly juices and they became quite popular.” Eventually, Pawani introduced her own range of baked goods and after a successful bake sale back in 2019, decided to continue her home-baking business on a more serious note.

Though Pawani has found her footing through the bake sale, it was the lockdowns in 2020 that really pushed her business to take off. “I think the pandemic and the lockdown really created a big demand for homemade, hygienic and trustworthy food so I found a lot of demand for my goods during the lockdown period. All my ingredients were well stocked and I only had to find a delivery partner. Once that was sorted, business picked up in April and May and I was able to build a good customer base and since then, I’ve got some regular repeat clients!”.

Popo’s Bakes has a range of sweet and savoury goodies. She offered a range of cupcakes and cakes, including a very fun DIY Cupcake Kit where you can personalise and customise your own cupcake toppings, and her savouries vary from hot pies to crispy short eats and sandwiches.  We tried some Popo’s Bakes cupcakes and savouries including her latest venture, breakfast packs  – here’s what we thought!

Cupcakes
We opted for an assorted range of cupcakes with 5 different toppings; vanilla, chocolate, cashew chocolate, whiskey infused and passionfruit curd cupcakes. Right off the bat, what we loved about the cupcakes was its soft sponge-like texture. The cupcake was light and fluffy with just the right balance of moistness to hold it all together. Complementing its cake – base was their toppings. Popo’s Bakes uses buttercream frosting for all their toppings and its equal parts creamy and light. While the Vanilla cupcake (Rs. 135) was infused with mild buttery and vanilla flavours, the Chocolate cupcakes (Rs. 145)  were sweet, creamy and delicious. The Chocolate cupcake with cashews (Rs. 165) added a crunchy element to the treat.

Our favourites however were the two speciality toppings. The Passionfruit Curd Cupcake (Rs. 190) was the perfect juxtapose of sweet and sour; passionfruit curd made with fresh passionfruit, eggs, butter and sugar was filled into the hollowed centre of the vanilla cupcake and in order to cut through the tangy, sour taste of the passionfruit, the cupcake was topped off with a vanilla butter icing on the edges. The Whiskey infused Chocolate cupcake (Rs. 230) was aimed at those who enjoy their laced sweets. The cupcake itself was soaked with premium whiskey and the creamy butter icing also had heavy hints of the liquor.

Our assorted range of cupcakes disappeared in a matter of hours. They were melt-in-your-mouth perfect and we simply couldn’t just stop indulging!

Savoury Pies
Popo’s Bakes has a range of savouries such as patties, rolls, cutlets, sandwiches and burgers but one of their most moving items are the hot-off-the-oven pies. We had their Mini Chicken Pie (Rs. 180) and the Mini Prawn Pie (Rs. 200).

The pies are made from their own homemade pastry, freshly prepared for each order. The filling is kept simple so as to get the best flavours of the ingredients. Both our chicken and prawn pie fillings were made with a creamy white sauce that paired well with the crumbly texture of the pastry. The pies were topped off with onion seeds for extra texture.

Breakfast Pack
This is Popo Bake’s latest addition to the menu. Breakfast options for those who simply do not have the time to prepare breakfast in the mornings and need something good and healthy on the go. Popo’s is currently developing a menu to include a variety of breakfast options catering to various tastes and preferences but for now has sandwiches, granola jars and teas/juices available. In the future, they hope to offer Sri Lankan breakfasts, continental breakfast and protein-packed meals for the gym buffs.

We had their Bacon and Egg sandwich, their Strawberry Granola Jar and their Cinnamon Infused Tea from their breakfast range. The Bacon and Egg Sandwich (Rs. 450) is simple and satisfying; made with thick, multi-seed white bread and included crispy bacon, egg omelette and rocket leaves. Our favourite was the Strawberry Granola Jar (Rs. 400) with Greek yoghurt, crunchy granola made with rolled oats, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit and honey. The granola parfait was topped off with fresh strawberries and chia seeds. It was delicious, healthy and the perfect breakfast option for those who want a filling meal that’s not too heavy or rich.

With a menu that is constantly expanding, Popo’s Bakes offers items that have been tried, tested and perfected. Pawani is a natural baker who finds solace in cooking and baking up a storm. “I’m just so happy when I bake! It’s my go-to for anything; a good day or a bad day. The entire process from measuring, baking, icing and packing it off – I love it. It’s super soothing and calming for me.”  Currently, Pawani wants to focus on expanding her menu and putting her products out on retail shelves and stores. In the future, she hopes to open her own restaurant and café.

Popo’s Bakes takes orders on a pre-order basis. They are willing to accept last minute orders depending on the availability of time. For more information about Popo’s Bakes and their range, check them out on Facebook (@poposbakesandjuices) or Instagram (@popos_bakes).