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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
HC's extended deadline ends today, bakeries fight to keep flame alive
Mumbai: In a bylane of Nagpada's Madanpura, Shaikh Sajid Ali sits on a wooden bench, watching workers dismantle the heart of his century-old Central Bakery: a dome-shaped, wood-fired oven that used to bake over 2,000 pavs a day. For a month now, the bhatti has stayed cold. "We're buying pav from outside to sell, but the taste is different. Customers can tell," he says. Lined with firebricks and coated in a jaggery-fenugreek-mud paste, the oven once radiated a consistency passed down through generations—a tradition now under threat. Following Bombay HC's directive to get bakeries running on wood, coal and diesel to shift to green fuel alternatives in six months, BMC issued notices to hundreds of bakeries across the city. But what was meant to be a clean transition turned into a courtroom battle. HC's extended deadline for compliance ends on Monday. A few lanes from Central Bakery, Indian Bakery still clings to its wood-fired setup. Opened in 1939 by Mirza Tafazzul Baig, the bakery is now run by his grandson, Mirza Gayas Baig, a petitioner in the HC case. He's already booked a gas oven, waiting for a pipeline that's yet to arrive. "MGL has come and done four surveys. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search and Discover search Search Now Still, no connection," he says. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Baig asserts that electric ovens are not viable—either commercially or functionally —making them an impractical choice for traditional bakeries like his. "You need strong, steady heat to bake pav. Electric doesn't give that. And if I charge Rs 8 for one pav, customers will stop buying." Safety is another concern. "You can't store 25 LPG cylinders in a small lane," says Baig. Ali says the entire setup—oven, wiring and installation—will cost him Rs 15-20 lakh. With every day of closure, he loses loyal customers, and pav that once had "soul" is now outsourced. "Same shape, same weight, but it goes chewy in a few hours," he says. To some, the transition to clean fuel was more organic. "The smoke from our chimney was bothering people," says Shesh Narayanan of the 80-year-old Navsagar Hindu Bakery in Lower Parel who made the switch voluntarily two years ago. His new gas-fired oven cost him over Rs 2.5 lakh and his daily LPG expense now stands at Rs 1,680. "If we get piped gas, our costs would be halved," he says, noting that 2-3kg of gas is consumed just to heat up the oven. While BMC surveyed 573 bakeries as of Oct 2024, insiders estimate Mumbai has 1,500-2,000, most of them unlicensed. Of those surveyed, 311 still use traditional fuels. Infrastructure remains a bottleneck. MGL has surveyed 500 bakeries and found 97 suitable for pipelines, but only 12 are actually using PNG, as per the minutes of a July 3 meeting BMC held with bakers' associations. "Some bakeries are in lanes where even an ambulance can't enter," says M Yaqub, who heads one such association. "How will MGL dig there?" MGL officials were unavailable for comment. The issue goes back to court on Monday. Bakery associations have sought more time and a phased rollout, not just for gas lines and safety clearances but also to place bulk oven orders. "You can't find 500-600 new ovens. Manufacturers don't have that kind of stock," says Ali. There is a central scheme that promises loans of up to Rs 1 crore with a 35% subsidy, capped at Rs 10 lakh. But the application process is dense. "They want rent agreements, PAN, Aadhaar, FSSAI licence and more. And the payment doesn't come to us. It goes directly to GST-registered vendors. Most of us don't even have GST," says Baig. The deeper challenge is structural: small, family-run bakeries often operate on paper-thin margins, with informal staffing and little digital footprint. "These are small bakeries," says Yaqub. "No one's denying the pollution, but the switch can't happen overnight, without support."
Global News
5 days ago
- Global News
Family of pregnant Ontario woman murdered by estranged husband upset by parole update
Arianna Goberdhan's parents and sister are upset after learning that Goberdhan's estranged husband, who murdered his pregnant wife to death seven years ago, will be eligible for day parole three years before what they were told was his parole eligibility date. On Wednesday, the Goberdhan family said they missed a call from Correctional Services Canada but listened to a voicemail message directing them to a portal for victims online. The family says they logged in and received a letter telling them an updated Correctional Plan Progress Report was available for Nicholas Baig, Goberdhan's estranged husband. In the report, they learned Baig would be eligible to apply for unescorted temporary absences and day parole on April 8, 2031. 'At the sentencing in 2019, we were told he is going to be eligible for parole in 17 years, which means 2034, and that's the date we had in the back of our minds,' said Sherry Goberdhan, Arianna's mother. Story continues below advertisement It's been more than eight years since her daughter was murdered, aged 27, on April 7, 2017. On that day, the body of nine-month pregnant Arianna — who was carrying Baig's child — was discovered inside the Pickering home where Baig's parents lived. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy She had been stabbed 17 times in her head, face, neck and body. She was dead when first responders arrived. Baig, who was 25 at the time, fled the scene and was arrested the following night in Markham. The unborn child, a girl whom Arianna was going to name Assara, also died. In April 2019, the sentencing judge said, 'The impact of his (Baig's) senseless act of cruelty was profound and crushing.' The family says, at that time, they were never notified that Baig would be eligible for day parole or unescorted day passes prior to 2034. 'Why weren't we advised of this prior?' Sherry told Global News. 'We're just confused. Why did we only know about this today? Why didn't we hear about this before? Why is no one communicating with us?' 'It's not right, it's unimaginable,' said Goberdhan's younger sister, Carissa. After the murder, the Goberdhan family was also frustrated that legislation prevented police from charging Baig with the death of the unborn child and felt the sentence was too lenient. Story continues below advertisement In 2023, the Goberdhans went to Ottawa to support Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall, who brought a private member's bill to encourage judges to consider physical or emotional harm as an aggravating factor during sentencing. Known as the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act, the bill was voted down. 'The Conservatives were brave enough to bring it to the floor for the vote, but unfortunately, they were defeated,' said Arianna's father, Chan Goberdhan. Correctional Services Canada said in an email to Global News that eligibility rates for life-sentenced offenders are calculated according to provisions in the Criminal Code of Canada. 'Offenders may apply for unescorted temporary absence and day parole three years prior to their full parole eligibility date,' the agency wrote. The family said they were also caught off-guard in July 2021, when they learned Baig had suddenly been transferred from Millhaven Maximum Security Institution to Beavercreek Medium Security Institution. 'What we have come to realize since 2017 is that the victims have no say. It's not fair. It's not fair at all,' said Sherry.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
From Oxford University to century on 'emergency' India Test debut in Manchester – the story of Abbas Ali Baig
Haryana's sprightly pacer Anshul Kamboj is likely to make a stunning Test debut on Wednesday for India, hampered by several injuries, during the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England in Manchester. Old Trafford has witnessed the first steps of nine India Test cricketers before, with legendary spinner Anil Kumble being the last of those during his debut in 1990. But none could match up to the whirlwind story of Abbas Ali Baig's debut in Manchester in 1959, stunning one and all. Like Kamboj, a 20-year-old Baig was nowhere in contention when the tour began, but for an injury to batting mainstay Vijay Manjrekar leading up to the fourth Test of the 1959 tour had India scrambling for options. While having started his First-Class career at only 15 years of age, Baig would have remotely thought of being drafted into the national side while studying at Oxford University. A prodigious talent indeed, Baig had once scored 308 runs in a First-Class match (221 and 87), an Oxford record that has remained for more than 60 years. Replacing Manjrekar in the XI, Baig had a nimble first essay on the Old Trafford strip, falling for 26 while batting at No. 3 to Ray Illingworth. After India made only 208 all out in response to England's first-innings score of 490, the hosts set a daunting 548-run target for India. Baig soon hit his straps under pressure as he carved a fantastic century in his second innings on debut. Aged 20 years 151 days, Abbas Ali Baig had become only the fourth Indian to score a century on Test debut and the youngest to achieve the landmark at the time. Incidentally, Baig's valiant century was also the first Test hundred by a debutant batter in the fourth innings of a match. The SOS call to India's request made Baig an instant hero as he was later bestowed with the Indian Cricketer of the Year – 1959 award. Baig's international career would, however, taper off as he would win only nine more caps across the next eight years. Baig could only add two more fifty-plus scores in his career and was famously remembered for an unprecedented on-field 'kiss'. During the Brabourne Test against Australia in 1960, Baig was walking off the field for the tea-break after scoring a fighting half-century before being stopped by a girl in her 20s for a moment that would make for debates and discussions thereafter. 'I was returning to the pavilion at tea when this girl jumped the fence and kissed me,' Baig would describe. After winning one more cap for India, Baig went onto become a First-Class heavyweight for Hyderabad alongside the likes of MAK Patudi, Abid Ali and ML Jaisimha. Across a 20-year career that ended in the 1975-76 season, Baig inished with 12,367 runs at 34.16 and 21 hundreds. He would return to the national set-up as the head coach during India's 1991-92 tour of Australia and the subsequent 1992 World Cup. As Kamboj gears up for a debut exactly 66 years later, Abbas Ali Baig's unique Test initiation at the very same ground in Manchester marks for a special recall.
Qatar Tribune
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Baig and Jamil steer Qatar to win over Saudi Arabia
Tribune News Network Doha A 35-ball unbeaten 43 (1x4; 4x6s) by Mirza Baig, an unbeaten 41 from Shazaib Jamil, and a 25-ball 44 from Muhaamad Asim (7x4s; 1x6) saw Qatar score a four-wicket win over Saudi Arabia in third match of their bilateral T20I series at the WestEnd International Cricket Stadium on Monday. Qatar chased down the target of 170 runs in 19.2 overs to go 2-1 up in five-match series. Baig, who earlier also claimed three wickets for 37 runs from his four overs, was named as the Man of the Match. Batting first, Saudi Arabia had reached 167 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs with captain Waji Ul Hassan making the highest 58 runs (46 balls; 3x4; 3x6) while Abdul Manan scored 49 (37 balls; 2x4; 4x6). Besides Baig, Daniel Archer took 3 for 22 for Qatar. In reply, Qatar at one stage were 95 for 6 in the 13th over but the left-handed Baig in company of Jamil - 41 not out (21 balls; 4x4s; 2x6s) steered the hosts home. Scores: Saudi Arabia 169 for 7 (Waji Ul Hassan 58; Abdul Manan 49; Mirza Baig 3-37; Daniel Archer 3-22) lost to Qatar 173-6 in 19.2 overs (M Baig 43 n.o.; S Jamil 41 n.o.) by four wickets.
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Lombard's booming Yemeni coffee shops underscore demand for ‘third places' and culturally appropriate nightlife
At the recent soft launch opening of Shibam Coffee in suburban Glendale Heights, customers swarmed in, lined the red-roped entrance area and stared in wonder at the lavishly decorated interior, with marble floors and Arabic calligraphy on the walls. A few patrons started snapping photos even before getting to the main door. A teenager asked an employee setting up chairs if the Yemeni coffee shop was hiring. What used to be a Chase Bank next to a Taco Bell in a busy plaza on North Avenue was now an immaculately designed cafe serving cardamom coffee and pistachio lattes to customers eager to become regulars. 'People kept asking (on social media) when we were opening and it took a long time — but we wanted it to be perfect,' said Moiz Baig, co-owner of the newly opened Shibam Coffee, the Dearborn, Michigan-based Yemeni coffee chain's first-ever Illinois location. 'The (Yemeni) coffee business is booming right now — no matter how many there are, people are still excited.' The recent boom in Yemeni coffee shops in the Chicago area, specifically in Lombard and other suburbs with a growing population of modern Muslim communities, underscores the rising demand for a place to socialize that isn't tied to alcohol, but with a buzzy nightlife ambience. 'It's a third place for people like us,' Baig said. 'We don't go to bars, but these coffee shops are booming because they are like 'halal bars.'' The recently popularized term 'third place' was coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe locations outside of the home and the workplace where people go to connect with one another. While use of the phrase to describe Yemeni coffeehouses may be newer, the concept isn't surprising: People just want a nice place to hang out, a place that feels safe. Great coffee and chai is the bonus. 'People feel like they belong because of the experience — it's for families with kids, it's for people who want to bring their laptop to work, it's for young people (meeting friends),' Baig said. 'No one feels out of place.' Baig said he wanted his cafe to 'bring something that was missing from the market,' with both a spacious interior and parking lot big enough to support the influx of customers. Shibam also offers a prayer room, and an area to wash up for those who want to pray. There's also reservable rooms for large parties. 'That is something nobody has and it's something that's very unique,' Baig said. 'People are booking these rooms for birthdays, for conferences, for meetings. (Shibam) is kind of becoming a home for a lot of people.' The maximum occupancy limit for inside Shibam is 120, with space for nearly 100 more outside. Baig joked that even that might not be enough. Irshad Khanlodhi, Baig's father-in-law and co-owner of Shibam in Glendale Heights, said he revels in seeing young faces and older adults sitting back and feeling at ease in the space he spent so much time creating. He feels a sense of fulfillment for having provided a refuge for the community. On most Friday and Saturday evenings when Yemeni coffeehouses particularly thrive, it's usually a mix of all those groups, and then some. Urdu, Arabic and English fill the air, alongside the clanking of cups and whooshing of espresso machines. 'I love seeing this — can you believe there are almost 200 people here, inside and out?' Khanlodhi said on a recent Saturday night — or early Sunday morning. It was 1:30 a.m., and there was an illuminating glow from the outside, where everything else was quiet and closed. 'It feels like we are somewhere else,' Khanlodhi said. Yemeni coffeehouses have especially resonated in immigrant communities where people want to go out at night, but not to a bar or a club. They still want aesthetics and ambiance and music, but not so loud that conversations are hard to hold. In the daylight hours, places like Shibam shift gears. 'This is the calmest it gets,' said barista Yamana Kurbi on a Thursday afternoon. 'In the beginning it was crazy, I don't know how I had the energy to keep up with it.' The constant chatter and order numbers being called out were replaced by college students on holiday, a group of young girls snapping a photo of the bright pink dragonfruit refresher and remote workers enjoying a change of scenery, sipping a in a beautifully lit cafe. There were people in street clothes, suits, and prayer . Kurbi is Yemeni, but was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. That crossover is not uncommon. She said she was surprised to see the amount of Yemeni, Muslim-owned coffee shops in the Chicago suburbs, something she didn't see much of in India. 'I used to love going to cafes in Hyderabad, there are a lot of really good ones, but I don't even think I can remember one that was Yemeni,' she said. 'When I learned that (Shibam) was opening, I was so excited — my bloodline is Yemeni, so I am very proud to see that there are so many people who love these places.' Yemeni coffeehouses like Shibam appeal to a diverse group of customers, not just immigrants who can relate to the culture. People of all ethnic backgrounds enjoy the same space. And despite the proliferation, there remains a strong demand for new ones. But the central idea behind each one goes back to coffee's roots, something first pulled off by Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop often referred to by customers and competitors as the 'OG.' Ibrahim Alhasbani, founder and owner of Qahwah House, said when the cafe opened in Dearborn, Michigan, in 2017, it was the first Yemeni coffee shop of its kind in the U.S., serving traditional Yemeni-style farm-to-cup coffee. Qahwah House now has more than 23 locations across seven states, and Alhasbani said he gets several requests a day from people interested in a franchise opportunity (though he's set a high standard for which ones he accepts). Since Qahwah House's second location landed in Lombard in 2021, it set off a wave of new Yemeni coffee shops across the Chicago area. Haraz Coffee House is one that's embracing the late-night, alcohol-free third space approach with a franchise model. There are locations in Niles and Orland Park and another soon opening in Aurora, with likely more to come. Alhasbani said he's 'very proud' to have pioneered a new style of business that opened up the market to others, and is graceful about his competitors creating menus almost identical to Qahwah House. 'Our plan from the beginning was to bring Yemeni coffee and Yemeni coffee history to the forefront,' Alhasbani said. 'This is where coffee comes from and this is how we can share our culture with different people from different backgrounds. Of course, we cannot do it only by ourselves.' Coffee is a deeply personal topic for Alhasbani, who comes from a family with eight generations of coffee farmers. When Qahwah House first opened, he hoped to put Yemen on the map and educate people about the rich history of something so integral to people's daily life. Yemen is known to coffee connoisseurs as the birthplace of coffee — the origin of coffee culture, with centuries-old brewing methods. 'We know what coffee means to us — it's not from 2017 when we opened our first coffee shop or from yesterday, we have 300 years of knowing coffee, knowing the quality and the soil and the process,' Alhasbani said. Along with coffee beans from Yemen, each of the American Yemeni cafes has its version of adeni chai, made with tea leaves, evaporated milk, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and sugar, best poured from a hot kettle into tiny glass teacups. The chai doesn't taste the same in a 16-ounce to-go cup, though many do order it that way. Chai, both regular and adeni, have a strong black tea base that's enhanced by the addition of milk, making it creamier and more indulgent — but not heavy. Spices add a lingering warmth and unbeatable aroma. Qahwah House was the first to put adeni chai on the map, said Alhasbani, and the drink now appears on menus at various Yemeni coffeehouses. While it's in reference to Aden, a region in Yemen, the tea itself is from India, which is known for its lush, hilly tea plantations. Alhasbani created adeni chai using Indian techniques of brewing tea leaves with milk and water, but added his own touch with Yemeni spices. 'We don't grow tea in Yemen, we have coffee — we are famous for the coffee!' Alhasbani said with a laugh. Alhasbani said he's proud to see that the cultural significance of the land and its coffee remains intact at each new cafe. He hopes all the new Yemeni coffee shop owners stay true to the farm-to-cup concept. 'You have to bring your coffee from Yemen,' Alhasbani said. 'We need to help the farmers back home. If there are more Yemeni coffee shops open, that means we will need more coffee. We're going to help the economy over there, we're going to help create job opportunities. This is our plan from the beginning.' Beyond Yemeni coffee, the recent surge in Lombard includes other Muslim-owned coffee shops embracing cafe culture, each with its own approach. The sheer volume of coffee shops on Roosevelt Road in Lombard alone is telling, whether they are Yemeni, South Asian, Muslim-owned or immigrant-owned. Driving down from Shibam in Glendale Heights, you would come across Matari Coffee Co. first. Matari fits right into the local landscape: To the left is an Indian grocery store, Pardesi, and a halal Mexican restaurant, Taquería Los Sombreros. To the right is Addah, a Desi street food spot serving paratha rolls and chai. Matari, which has had a location in Skokie since 2024, opened in Lombard in January. The franchise plans to expand to Aurora, Orland Park and Schaumburg later this year, with several more locations slated across the U.S. The large storefront is dressed in brown leather chairs, luxurious booths, pristine white tables, nods to Islamic architecture and subtle reminders of coffee's roots in Yemen. Arshad Yaqoob, co-owner of Matari in Lombard and Skokie, gets his coffee beans directly from Matari headquarters in Canton, Michigan, after they've been shipped from Yemen. Just like any American coffee shop, Matari serves the typical cappuccino, latte, cortado, caramel macchiato, mocha, cold brew, matcha and a lineup of refreshers. But they hope to be known for their drinks such as the 'Matari latte' with notes of cardamon, cinnamon and ginger, or the very-Instagrammable iced pistachio frappuccino. The pistachio drinks and pistachio desserts are having a moment, said Yaqoob. They've got a version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar with pistachio cream and or shredded phyllo filling for $8. Some other places have it for much more, Yaqoob said, but he keeps his price point lower with families in mind, so they can enjoy a treat without breaking the bank. Though Matari is a Yemeni cafe, many of the franchise owners are not. Yaqoob and his nephew, Suleman Sami Noor, who is also a co-owner, are Pakistani. Baig at Shibam is Pakistani, too. But they see overlap in both cultures. 'Growing up, you only had Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks, now you have all these Muslim communities opening up all these coffee shops,' Yaqoob said. 'Not only do parents of Muslim kids feel comfortable sending their kids to coffee shops late at night — they also might join them. It's part of our culture to sit down and have chai and stay up socializing. That's what is driving people in.' Yaqoob admitted that competition in the local coffee industry is high, and it can be a challenge being completely different from the rest when the overall concept and offerings are the same, including the pastries. Almost all of the Yemeni coffee shops offer varying flavors of milk cake, cheesecakes, slices of layer cakes (including a Dubai chocolate flavor), croissants, tiramisu cups and an assortment of traditional Yemeni breads and pastries. Yaqoob said it's a small world of vendors supplying a crowded field coffee shops. A two-minute drive from Matari is Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., which also has locations in Aurora, Chicago Ridge and Bridgeview. Qamaria's beverage menu includes all the greatest hits also found at Matari, Shibam and Qahwah House: iced Yemeni-spiced lattes, pistachio-flavored lattes, rose tres leches, honeycomb cake also known as in Arabic. In addition to the adeni chai, Qamaria also offers a latte version with creamy steamed milk. The roster of refreshers is common for a Yemeni cafe — tangerine, wild peach, hibiscus, mango, dragonfruit and lemonade. Qamaria's most notable quality is the Turkish seating along the back wall below a few stained glass window decals. Across the street, inching closer to Qahwah House, is TeaTime AnyTime. While not exclusively known for Yemeni-style drinks, the singular location serves a variety of chai (Irani, zafrani or safron, , Kashmiri and Moroccan) and a long list of milk tea (taro, Thai, honeydew, brown sugar, salted cream brown sugar), fruit teas (dragon berry, peach, mango and more) and slushies. The savory snacks at TeaTime AnyTime vary more than its Yemeni coffeehouse counterparts, which typically offer more sweet options. At TeaTime AnyTime, customers can pick from puff pastry filled with chicken tikka, butter paneer, spinach and cheese and samosas in varieties of veggie, ground beef or chicken. A one-minute drive from there is Pakistani-owned Cafe Bethak. In a sea of Yemeni coffee shops, Cafe Bethak offers customers 'classic, authentic Desi chai,' said the owner, Nimra Irfan. Though she has variations on the menu, the star is the '' — no spices, just the classic preparation with milk, water and tea. Further down the same plaza is Cocomelt, enforcing the cafe culture scene with chocolate-based crepes, waffles and gelato. Popular drinks include iced Korean dalgona, mango mint refresher, iced strawberry matcha and lattes with a churro-vibe. The storefront is massive and visibly expensive — ornate light fixtures, fancy accent chairs as seating and a quiet area for prayer. From Cocomelt, a two-minute drive leads to Sweet Reserve Bakery, a Muslim-owned pastry and coffee shop, known for its custom cakes and dessert case stocked with cheesecake, an assortment of tres leches jars, macarons, cakesicles, creme brulee, key lime tarts. The bakery also serves Turkish breads, egg croissants and a decadent Philly grilled cheese. While the other coffee shops on Roosevelt Road tend to rely on similar sweet and savory items, Sweet Reserve has carved out its own identity. Shaghf Cafe — not Yemeni, but with a focus on similar Arab coffee culture — is also on Roosevelt, but in neighboring Villa Park. With more and more entrepreneurs riding the demand for 'third places' that are open deep into the night, it's likely more of the same style of coffee shops will continue sprouting up a short distance away from existing ones. And more cafes serving coffee and chai mean more options for customers, which can't possibly be a bad thing, said a customer at Shibam recently: 'If there can be four Starbucks in one town, why can't there be a few or more Yemeni coffee shops too?' Mithai on Devon, cakes on Roosevelt: How Chicago and Lombard offer different takes on South Asian sweetsOne mile, more than a dozen Latino-owned cafes: How Pilsen's coffee culture is growing across 18th Street
