2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
It's her cup of tea
MANIPUR : As a six-year-old, Pamreiwon Shokwungnao would knead dough to help her parents run a hotel. She went on to do a master's in food technology from the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences in Prayagraj. Her friends and relatives thought she would strive to land a government job, but she followed her life's calling—entrepreneurship. Today, she is the proud owner of 'Warm Delights' and 'Garden of Eden'—her pastry and herbal tea brands, respectively.
This Tangkhul Naga woman runs her businesses from her home in Manipur's Ukhrul town, where she grew up. Her herbal tea has a customer base in Manipur, Nagaland, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, etc. The pastries are a delight for the locals' taste buds. Pamreiwon, the sixth of nine siblings, was born into a lower middle-class family at Tashar village in Ukhrul district. Her parents raised them by running a modest hotel that served tea and puri. Seeing their struggle to make ends meet, she began making and selling doughnuts and cream buns in early 2018, when she was still in college.
Though the locals love cakes and pastries, shops selling such items were few and far between in Ukhrul town back then. Pamreiwon saw an opportunity. She underwent training from Ukhrul's Krishi Vigyan Kendra and began making & selling them. She later also purchased a small oven at `16,000. As time rolled by, her businesses grew steadily, and she spent from her savings to buy another oven, three hand mixers, one Visi cooler and a small generator for a backup.
The 25-year-old continues to sell her cakes and pastries in Ukhrul town and its nearby villages. She gets bulk orders when there are events and gatherings. Her cake combos with bouquets from her backyard are high in demand during special occasions.
Pamreiwon, who has been a tea lover for long, launched her herbal tea brand last year. She worked as a volunteer at a local church during the Covid pandemic, preparing herbal tea with resources that were locally available—turmeric, herbs, pomegranate leaves, sticky rice and other spices.
