Kolkata: Christmas in Kolkata is synonymous with cakes from Nahoums and Sons shop in Hogg Market. Likewise previous years, a long queue of cake lovers is seen infront of the shop but owner Isaac Nahoums is not present at the shop because he is stuck in his hometown in war-ravaged Israel.
Isaac is looking after the affairs of this century-old bakery in Kolkata from Israel. Being the busiest time of the year, the shop is doing its usual business even though the owner is not physically present, employees said.
A worker of the bakery said, "The previous owner lived in Kolkata. Now the shop is managed by his younger brother Isaac, who is in Israel. He comes here during the Christmas season every year. But, this time he could not come here due to the war. They all are safe there."
Most of the workers of this bakery are from the Muslim community. "We are not in favour of any kind of war. We do not want to bother about the war in that country. Let peace be restored there," workers said.
Like every year, this year too, the sales in the shop has increased ahead of Christmas. As soon as the shutters of Nahoums and Sons are pulled up in the morning, a huge crowd of customers lines up. While some people taste the delicacies at the shop, many carry it home for their near and dear ones.
Generation after generation, people from different levels of society buy cakes from this shop. The bakery was started as a door-to-door service in 1902 and later a shop was set up in Hogg Market in 1916. Earlier, David Nahoums lived in Kolkata and looked after the operations of the factory and shop. But after his death, his younger brother Isaac took over the charge.
Due to the additional rush of customers, Isaac comes to Kolkata from Israel during Christmas. This time it's an exception due to the ongoing war. He has instructed the workers to make necessary arrangements so that special cakes are prepared during Christmas. Although many bakeries have started operating in Kolkata, Nahums and Sons continues to attract maximum crowds.
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