International Women's Day Interview: Sharmeen Indorewala, Founder and Head Patissiere at The Parfait Co.

Name: Sharmeen
Indorewala

Age: 31

City: Mumbai

Occupation: Founder and Head Patissiere at The Parfait
Co.

ST: Please tell us briefly about you.

Sharmeen: I began my culinary career in 2009 by
pursuing the International Chef’s Diploma at IHM Mumbai (Dadar Catering
College.) Post that I began a small home baking service where I made customised
cupcakes, cakes, cookies and the likes for a select Bombay clientele. Spread
just by word of mouth and facebook, it got great reviews and I did this for a
year after which I realised I needed to further hone my pastry skills. I
applied to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and completed my Patisserie Diplomme from
the Paris and London Campuses.

I then came back to Bombay and worked at
a start-up restaurant in South Bombay for a year. It was then finally time to
venture out on my own once again and that’s when I decided to launch The
Parfait Co. We are the first brand in the world to manufacture French parfait,
a cold dessert like ice cream, but creamier, smoother and richer. It was a big
part of my motive to make the product free of any preservatives, stabilizers
and artificial ingredients and to achieve that we use very high quality
ingredients and have strict product manufacturing systems in place. I am happy
to say that we have a completely natural, gluten free product across
supermarket shelves across the city today in a category (Ice creams and frozen
desserts) where there is little room for small players.

Apart from TPC, my hobbies include
reading, travelling and product tasting (Not necessarily in that order)

ST: Who is a woman that inspires you the most and why?

Sharmeen: There are so many! If I had to pick one
it would be JK Rowling for her unmatched talent and quick wit where she is not
afraid to speak her mind on the most delicate of issues on vast public forums.
Her ability to move past criticism and fight misogyny at its roots is something
very few people have the courage to do. After all her struggles, her success is
a true inspiration for many women out there.

ST: How are you celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day?

Sharmeen:
By
working! (And maybe a nice spa treatment after for me and the girls on the
team)

ST: What is the most important message you want to send out to all the
women around the world on this occasion?

Sharmeen:
Fight
the system from the inside and outside. If something is
bothering you, speak up. Don’t let anyone break your spirit or your voice. And
lastly, help and encourage as many girls / women around you to do the same!

ST: What according to you is ‘women empowerment’?

Sharmeen:
Empowerment
involves bringing power to individuals. Woman in India and all over the world
have faced centuries of oppression. To me the idea of empowerment rests in
bringing that oppression to an end in a way that is not only in absolute in
terms of the law but also resonant in the minds of people today. When men
become mindful of the oppression of women so coded in our genetics and culture
and make a true effort to change the way they think about the truth in the
ideology, only then can that translate to real change at a ground level. Empowerment
can only begin at the roots of the human mind on the road to equality between
the sexes.

ST: What would you say are the main challenges facing women at present
in India?

Sharmeen:
The
patriarchy in our culture is extremely seeped in. For the masses of women across the country
the biggest challenge would be the freedom to make their own choices. From the
time we are born, for most Indian girls, even basic education is not remotely a
priority to their families. Because men are traditionally bread winners, and
are viewed as the providers of future financial security by their parents, the
women are often ignored when it comes to these basic rights.

In the office place, few women rise to
the top as it is always assumed that the woman will take a backseat at work at
some point in her life to raise a family and this is often the case as well, so
already there is a preconceived notion that the roles at the top will be
reserved for men. Most women who would like to succeed have to push much harder
in order to achieve their success and for it to be acknowledged.

Coming from a fairly privileged
background, I was extremely lucky to get the support and encouragement I have
from my parents and husband, but sadly this is the exception, not the rule.

ST: Where do you want to see yourself in next 5 years?

Sharmeen:
Hopefully
running a roaring business with two kids in tow!