Mumbai’s bustling Bhendi Bazaar
has an age-old little shop, which has been famous for its hand-churned ice
creams since 1887. Taj Ice Cream, situated in the
bylanes of Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai, is a century-old joint known for its
hand-churned ice creams.
It dates back to 1887, when
Valilji Jalaji from Kutch arrived in Bombay and started selling fruits and milk
mixed in an earthen pot. The man, was totally unaware that he was inadvertently
laying the foundation for a rock-solid business — Taj Ice Cream would go steady
for over a century. Today, the same place in Bhendi
Bazaar, albeit small, still draws a huge crowd on a daily basis.
The journey
Valilji scouted for ice and
started making hand-churned ice creams with fresh fruits, full-cream milk and
sugar. The response to his dessert was phenomenal, and gradually, his chilled
treats grew in popularity.
Aamir shares, “Although the shop
was started in 1887, it was only later that ice creams were made. When Valilji
started the place, procuring ice was not possible because it was a luxury item
and was expensive.”
It runs in the family
For years, the business has been
run successfully by family members. In 2016, Hatim Sharifali and his brothers
parted ways, leaving Hatim and his son Aamir now solely in charge of Taj Ice
Cream.
From just six flavours that were
always available, the menu today boasts of 16 varieties, including the
popular sitaphal (custard apple), mango, strawberry, litchi and
guava. Furthermore, the brand, which was previously low-key, now has an active
social media presence. The credit for these changes goes to Aamir, who returned
from Dubai after giving up his job to take the family business to the next
level in 2016. “Changing with times is important. Hence, I created a logo,
brand identity and ensured we are on delivery platforms and active on social
media too, as that is the need of the hour,” explains Aamir candidly.
Besides branding and a bit of
marketing, Aamir admits they have changed nothing. “Valilji was a visionary and had
everything chalked out meticulously. Even the copper canister or sanchas,
in which we churn the ice cream, are from his time. All we have to do is
maintain them every year,” says the man with a smile. He adds, “Our staff too
is third-generation and are familiar with the quality requirements. The
business is almost on an auto-pilot mode.”The other plus is they use fruits
and the ice creams are said to have no softeners, colours, preservatives or
additives.
“That is the first thing I learnt
from my father. We never compromised on quality. The fruits are purchased
personally by one of us and the milk has been coming from the same place for
years now, as we are sure of the quality and hygiene,” informs Aamir, who
assures us that every batch of ice cream is tasted by him or his father for
quality and consistency.
Famous customers
From actors like Madhubala,
Suraiya and Johnny Walker to the popular director-duo Abbas-Mustan and
politician Farooq Abdullah, Taj Ice Creams has hosted many celebrities over the
years.“Once upon a time, we used to
even cater to the prestigious Radio Club during the British era. But my father
tells me that the moment the Shah of Iran, when he visited Mumbai, stayed at
Taj Mahal Hotel and asked for our ice creams, was the high point in his life,”
shares Aamir.
Apart from working on new
flavours like jackfruit and tender coconut, Aamir is keen to get an organic and
natural certification for his brand. He has also opened a new outlet in Bandra
East and hopes to expand further.
