GTprofile - Saba Sharjeal

7/30/2019 GTprofile - Saba Sharjeal

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What does it take to be

a savvy business-

woman as well as

an artist with integrity? Saba

Sharjeal, also known as The

Mad Chef, is that rare thing: a

free spirit whose colourful per-

sonality matches her artistic

confections.Saba realised her calling in

her early 20s, after years of bak-

ing for family and friends. It

was after graduating from col-

lege that she decided to create a

business that involved doing

what she loved. But it was not

easy for her, having been at the

receiving end of criticism and

doubts from those around her.

As most of us know, there is a

GTProfile

Saba Sharjeal, also known as The Mad Chef,

tasted success after going off the beaten-track

By Saba Ahmed

Beauty in theMadness



cribbing and fussing with her mother

over the use of the kitchen. Serious and

focused, Saba decided to get to work; she

signed up for a teaching job at LSE and

later with the British Council. At her jobs

she raised the capital she needed to invest

in her business with no help from any-

body - just talent and a drive to realize her

dream. Her first piece of equipment was

a Kitchen Aid mixer which is now indis-

pensable to her. She fixed up a tiny

unused space in her house to create a

kitchen separate from her

Mum's where she could

cook up unusual concoc-tions and experiment late

into the night. Constant

experimentation, trial and

error and endless improvi-

sation is what occupied her

for months. She went off

the beaten track, throwing

in lesser-used ingredients

like cardamom and other

spices, not just the usual chocolate-vanil-

la rush.

Saba explains that the Pakistan

palette is hard to discern and to please.

People are skeptical and fussy about new

flavours and recipes. Over the past 60

odd years, two cakes have dominated the

Pakistani market: the ubiquitousPineapple Cream and Black Forest. To

bring in cakes that look great - fondant

cakes, marzipan icing, white and sponge

cakes - that have been championed and

appreciated in the West but are still being

treated with skepticism around these

parts is a tough thing. To technically

achieve a fondant cake that is moist and

creamy and looks like it could be featured

in Cooks Illustrated is no easy feat.

A complete self-starter, financed,

driven, and motivated by herself, Saba

tendency in Pakistan to disregard the

culinary arts as a venerable profession.

From early days at school, Saba

struggled with weight issues. Having a

love for food, especially sweets, she had

trouble managing her weight and was

constantly at odds with those around her.

After having devoted her O & A

Levels to Pure Sciences, Saba was at a

loss as to what to do with her life. She

thought of pursuing her lifelong dream of acting, a field in which she showed

immense talent, being chosen as the lead

role in many school plays and beyond.

Here, too, she was met with discourage-

ment from those around her. She decided

to put it all aside, and enrolled in Lahore

School of Economics (LSE) for a degree

in Business and Finance. Knowing her

own free-spirited temperament, Saba

wondered about her decision, knowing

that she had more to offer than working at

a run-of-the-mill '9-5' job. It was at

school and in the midst of her friends and

classmates that Saba began to build up

momentum for what would become her

lifelong passion and her livelihood -

cooking for others.She was known for bringing baked

goods to school, birthdays, and events

even when there was no occasion. "It all

started with the cookie," says Saba with

her trademark grin.

Saba decided to pursue a diploma in

Pakistani and Chinese cuisine followed

by an internship in the kitchen at Park

Plaza. "I was the only girl there", she

says, alluding to the chauvinism preva-

lent amongst chefs in hotels. Not only

was there chauvinism to put up with, but

the chef's themselves hoard recipes and

information. "I was going to chefs con-

stantly…itni ego hoti hai, nahin batatain

recipes…they keep a small black diary

with them in their pockets and they have

ancient recipes, excellent, beautiful

recipes and if you get your hands on that

black diary, you've hit the jackpot." The jist of her observations: your tutor wor-

ried that someday you might exceed him

in your work. She spent much time

researching and immersing herself in

how to proceed in making her passion for

cooking bankable.

She mentions the coffee shop at the

bookstore Readings as her chosen spot

for mulling over ideas, brainstorming,

coming up with the best business plan for

catering and baking. She also educated

herself through books that get into the

nitty-gritty of it all, as well as by follow-

ing food academics and inspirations like

Julia Child. This is how she believes that

she can inculcate originality in her prod-

uct and bring it to her clients. "Your only

source cannot be the internet, you can see

people who are making cakes, they are

copying other peoples' work from theinternet...they're not original. If I pick up

something from the net, I make sure to

mention the source." Her clients also say,

‘well, this cake has been made but I'm

looking for something different’ for

which she has to use different sources for

inspiration and knowledge. "I use a lot of

books. People have stopped using books,

I don't know why".

Ravenous for a career in the culinary

arts, Saba looked around and found her-

self living at her parents' and constantly

Over the past 60odd years, two

cakes havedominated thePakistani market:the ubiquitousPineapple Creamand Black Forest

‘I was going to chefsconstantly… itni ego

hoti hai , nahinbatatain

recipes…they keep asmall black diary withthem in their pocketsand they have ancient

recipes, excellent,beautiful recipes, and ifyou get your hands on

that black diary, you'vehit the jackpot’



currently has only one assistant, her

younger sister Naira. Naira, who is pur-

suing a bachelors degree from the

National College of Arts (NCA) is Saba's

kitchen aide, friend and support system.

Being naturally creative, Saba and Naira

get together and work on the design,

hashing out the various elements that go

into the baked goods. Making cakes,

especially, is an all-encompassing artistic

experience that goes all the way from the

inside of the cake to the decoration to the

icing and, finally, the board which creates

the mood for one's birthday, anniversary,

or baby shower. The way an event plan-

ner can affect how guests feel at a cere-

mony, so can a chef. "I'm constantly try-

ing to think outside the box," says Saba.

Saba now has a set of dedicated

clients who understand that her creativity

and innovation is non-stop and that she

maintains that edge above impersonators

and half-baked hobbyists. "I know each

of my clients and I know what they

want."

The Mad Chef being an unusual

name, I asked Saba how it came about.

Her friends and family were leaning

towards conventional suggestions like

'Sweet Tooth,' and 'Cookie Jar.' But Saba,

being an extraordinary person, needed an

extraordinary name. Hanging out with

her grandmother one day, one of her

cousins responded to something Saba did

by blurting out, "You're a crazy lady,

you're a crazy cook." From then on Saba

was the Mad Chef. The name stuck - as

we all know, the best nicknames are the

ones given to us by others.

Saba wants to pursue her education

further, perhaps a Masters degree in the

culinary arts. Her dream is to have a

school where girls (and guys!) can get

serious about baking and pursue it like

other mainstreams professions. In the

process, she wants to endow the culinary

arts the credibility and regard they need,

and lack, in Pakistan.

Saba also wants to someday have a

small bakery. But she's clear about one

thing: the bakery will have no branches

because she is an artist, not a fad-driven

brand; her clients are real people, not an

endless queue of nameless cus tomers. We

wish Saba the best of luck in her future

endeavors and hope that her madness

continues to be a source of joy for others.

To technically achieve afondant cake that is

moist and creamy and

looks like it could befeatured in Cooks Illustrated is no

easy feat

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GTprofile - Saba Sharjeal