To complete half a century of existence is in itself a laudable accomplishment, but to do it outlasting competitors whose numbers and investments have grown at an exponential rate, by always being one step ahead of them all that time, is nothing short of a mega-feat. Michel David's father opened 'St. Michels Bakery and Stores' on December 1, 1961. From selling just bread and rusk, over the years, the bakery has gone multi-faceted to include a cafe where American and European snacks are served with a desi touch and stores that cater to customers whose range has changed from being predominantly Malayali to a mixed population from different cultures.

“We have officers from the Air Force arriving here, North Indians from Technopark, high ranking police officers – our food items are in demand even in the homes of ministers when they entertain guests,” says a proud Michel David.

When St. Michel started its business in Trivandrum, there were hardly about a dozen bakeries in the city, of which only a couple more survive today. Yet the bakery still stands tall among the most sought after bakeries in Trivandrum.

“Product quality, freshness in the menu and the wide range of choices has been our success mantra.”

The menu has been constantly changing and evolving, keeping one step ahead with the passing of time. What was once considered a store primarily meant to buy bread and rusk, introduced to the public the newer varieties of cakes, sweets, puffs, burgers, pizzas...

“We were the first ones to introduce 'Chicken Puffs' in Trivandrum. At present we serve 12 different varieties in cakes itself; then we have 18 different varieties of cookies and a broad range of all kinds of North Indian sweets essentially meant for the Technopark crowd.”

Michel David makes sure to keep himself updated about the food market, not just local, but national and international as well. And the principle is not to replicate every item the same way as it is served over there...

“We have a full fledged Fast Food Cafe where we serve 'American' fast foods like Burgers, Pizzas, Sandwiches, Crispy Fried Chicken, Milkshakes etc. The idea is not to serve Western food, but to Indianize the Western food for the customers, or in other words to serve Western food which has an Indian feel to it.”

To keep ahead in the race, just bringing freshness to the products alone is not enough. Maintaining an unwavering quality of standards along with the continuously evolving menu card is just as important, if not more. And for that, retaining excellent staff and ensuring the smooth functioning of the entire work force is essential.

“We use standardised recipes to make our food. To bring in the true flavor of sweets from other states, we have employed special chefs from places such as Bangalore and Krishnagiri. We also ensure the top quality of our work force and employ only qualified people. Every three years, special chefs, with whom we have tie-ups, arrive from Holland and Germany to assess and upgrade our products.”