Timeless Landmarks of Guwahati, Part 4: Shaikh Brothers - A 140-year Legacy of Aroma, Memory, and Indulging the City’s Sweet Tooth

Shifting through the tides of life’s everchanging rhythm comes a sudden burst of familiarity, emerging as a distinct picture of an experience felt so vividly, that it crystallized into a core memory. It can be a vivid sight we might have seen, a unique taste we might have relished, a melodious tune we might have heard or a blossoming scent that brushed past us. The gravitas of such experiences is they remain etched deep into our psyches, occasionally resurfacing as nostalgic images bursting through the stillness of life.

One such memory is the shared recollection of experiencing a distinct taste that tethers the collective consciousness of Guwahati's citizens; a memory so deep that it seems to have scaled a permanent space within the sweet tooth of an entire community.

Located at Pan bazar’s Hem Baruah Road, the distinct memory finds its origin in a journey undertaken by a landmark whose golden letters radiate the name- SHAIKH BROTHERS; a name that has fulfilled the effervescent sweet tooth of Guwahati’s citizens for 140 years. A picturesque Pan Bazar, where fleets of busy steps dissolve amidst the clamour of urban rush, the structure bearing the golden markings is Guwahati’s oldest bakery-cum-confectionary. First established in the year 1887, Shaikh Brother’s grandeur is still evident in the form of throbbing que outside its glass double-doors, and the aromatic allure that drifts through the lanes every time a customer enters or exits the shop.

Photo- Rohit Pathak

The buttersweet trail soon draws our footsteps inside, where the immediate gaze falls upon the vibrant collection of baked marvels, gleaming behind transparent glass showcases. Each carry rows of baked products that are arranged on trays and placed atop built-in platforms. A tray labelled premium butter biscuits: short-round cookies with a yellowish-brown texture, another of butter cakes with rectangular brown edges and a fluffy-yellow surface streaked by red in the middle, a tray marked with the name cream bun where a dozen lustrous buns are crowned with snow-white whipped cream, and an array of colourful pastries placed alongside ornate birthday cakes; consist of the intricate patterns weaving the vivid tapestry of Shaikh Brother’s sweet essence.

And then emanates the food orders which begin with – Aroiso gram butter biscuit diba (Give me 250 grams of butter biscuits), creating a momentum that sustains till the trays are nearly emptied and the shop preapres to draws its shutters. In a span of moments, the entire space is brought together when the required orders are billed and packed by the organized staff, with the occasional suggestion by customers- “Aaru eta bostu lou roba” (Let me buy one more item)- further displaying the bakery's mesmeric excellence. Once, the final billing is done, customers are provided with a small yellow note bearing the amount, which they carry over to the counter. While in the process of billing, one gets to witness the interior of a space that seems to hold it all. Ample cover for customers to browse around, sufficient area for management to list and carry orders, structured layout of the goods, and a small bench rooted outside accommodating customers relishing on delights; presents the overall picture of Shaikh Brother’s enduring space, one that has been thoughtfully utilized and preserved over time.

At the counter, once we pay the bill, our vision then narrows over to the area that consists of the core management. A glance to the left and we notice a study table sprawled with documents and, two seated figures. Weaving a gentle cadence into the very fabric of the shop, these figures are the present-day fourth generation proprietor and first-time partners of Shaikh Brothers- Shaikh Alim Hussein and Shaikh Arif Hussein. Currently presiding over the bakery and helming its legacy, their embedded presence soon translates into a conversation, whose gentle words begin with “Aamar grandfather, Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim e arombho kora” (It was started by our grandfather Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim). Theirs is a story that finds its beginning towards the later-half of nineteenth century, when Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim spent his formative years in hometown, (then) Calcutta- one of the biggest economic hubs of British India that aroused a totality of human perception. As informed by the current duo, it was in Calcutta (Hoogli district) where Ghulam Ibrahim was first exposed to the multiple outlets of sweets and bakery, an experience that ultimately shaped a vision.

Photo - Rohit Pathak

The vison then actualised into reality when business drove Ibrahim from Calcutta to the quiet corners of Guwahati, particularly with the purpose of constructing the Guwahati-Shillong highway. “British e prothomote soda factory arombho koribo disile [British government initially asked us to start a soda factory],” informs Shaikh Ali Hussein, with the quick chime from Shaikh Arif adding, “Taare pisot khua axubidhar karone bakery ekhon arombho koribo dile [ After that, due to difficulties with food, they allowed a bakery to be started];” symbolising the colonial dictates that imminently became the foundational blocks of the bakery’s existence.

Once established in 1887, its steady rise soon propelled into a prolific stardom when John Henry Kerr (then Assam governor) issued an official notice appointing Shaikh Brothers as the official supplier of bread, butter and various baked items, with Michael Keane, JB Fueller, and Rober Neil (later governors) shortly following after. The smooth texture, distinct aroma and mouth-watering taste shaped the bakery’s presence into a craving echo, for the likes of Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other notable Prime Ministers, whose visit to North-East India were left incomplete, unless a quick relish of Shaikh Brother’s baked delights (cheese sticks, puffs, cookies etc.).

They further mention how Shaikh Brothers was the first bakery to import raw materials (Cashew, almonds) from Belgium and Australia, signifying the innovation, vision and tedious hard work that constantly went behind the scene. And its transformation from a colonial output to a core landmark of independent India, and simultaneous Assamese identity, is a journey which Shaikh Arif Hussein explains as “struggle nathaka ke toh aami iman bosor solai rakhibo nuarilu hoi [Without struggles, we would not have been able to keep it running for all these years].”

Photo - Rohit Pathak

So, what is the secret behind a landmark that continues to sustain a steady group of crowds, just like it used to a century ago. A gentle chime from Shaikh Ali Hussein, “Aami Guwahati r public or health or logot ketiau compromise nokoru [We never compromise with health of the public of Guwahati],” seems to provide an immediate answer. Amidst a present that is marked with rising prices and steep competitions, the proprietor is critical of preserving the trust, the city has placed over them. “Poisa bosabo r babe health compromise kora tu aamar business nohoi” (Our business is not saving money and compromising with the health of people) they exclaim. Hence, where quality assurance and customer satisfaction anchors a landmark’s prolific existence, the duo further points out the list of initiatives undertaken to employ the bakery’s heritage-driven dictates.

And these include- using personal butter and cream as sole ingredients instead of retail refine oils, fresh items always finding their place before the shop opens for business, maintaining tidy surroundings inside and outside the shop, and most importantly keeping prices reasonable and taste constant. “Middle-aged, aged, kids and teenagers, visit our bakery, and never leave empty-handed. The trust that customers of Guwahati has placed on us, we give it back by our absolute servitude. It is because of people’s blessing that we are here” a deep reflection by Shaikh Ali Hussein and Shaikh Arif Hussein, symbolizing their close-knitted relationship tethered to a quintessential bakery and its scintillating presence.

And this presence, further finds its solace within the nostalgic memory lanes of a notable personality, and one of Shaikh Brother’s most loyal patron-Allen Brooks, a prominent social activists based in the city. “Smell has memory, taste has memory, touch has memory; so when you get a whiff of air of the freshly baked goods emerging from Shaikh Brothers into the lanes of Pan Bazar, that beautiful aroma hits your nostrils and becomes very appetising”, a vivid impression of Shaikh Brothers described by Allen Brooks, the gravitas of which still lingers in him as a reverberating hymn.

Photo - Rohit Pathak

Being the first bakery in Guwahati to offer delivery services, Brooks reminisces of a time when freshly baked loaves used to find its place outside his doors, every morning. In fact, Allen also brings out a core memory of Shaikh Brothers associated with one of the most important periods of his life. He recalls the day he was about to get married-a moment already heavy with anticipation and emotion-when placing an order for a two-storied wedding cake from Flury’s Kolkata, also led him to place a similar order with Shaikh Brothers, as an afterthought. What began as a practical arrangement soon turned into a quiet affirmation of trust and familiarity, as the bakery’s reputation and personal resonance made it an indispensable part of his life. Furthermore, Allen points out the amicable staff, with their beaming smiles and kind gestures, that always made the bakery a hub of memories, forever unchanging for both Brooks and the residents of an entire city.

Hence, Shaikh Brothers is one of the more notable stories of a landmark, who in its absolute sense have functioned for the people of Guwahati. So, in contemporary times of amalgamating desires and voracious requirements, is a simultaneous rise of multiple outlets and modern innovations. Bakeries, confectionaries, sweet shops, cafes, the list of notable outlets overlying Guwahati is long. Yet, a name that still glimmers amidst the range of multiplicities is the recurring excellence of Shaikh Brothers.

So, how is it that the shop has able to maintain its status quo for more than a century, despite the overlooming presence of multiple alternatives and an unknown future. “Consistency of quality and taste is the most important; be it your glass cakes, diamond-shaped cakes or lemon biscuits, they had the means to retain the quality throughout time”, explains Allen Brooks. “The best part about food business is having loyal customers. And in 140 years, they have earned a generation of loyal customers. Very old people, middle age people or young people, their presence shows that they have been able to cater to everyone’s tastebuds.”

These reflections by Allen Brooks therefore symbolises a shop which has long moved beyond its primary threshold as an economic outlet. Carrying the same old chairs and furniture set by the first generation, with an all- embracing energy that greets all, stands a steady layout that only improves with time. And the tantalising essence- aroma steeped in time-allows Shaikh Brothers to endure as a serene vestibule of shared memories, where individual recollections quietly converge into a collective past, creating an atmosphere unmatched by any.

In Allen Brooks’ words- “ Shaikh Brothers has become a part of a routine, a façade of Guwahati. So, Shaikh Brothers is here forever”

Rohit Pathak

Rohit Pathak is currently pursuing Master’s in English at Christ University, Bengaluru. He is passionate about solo travel, experiencing different cultures, and tasting indigenous delicacies. He has produced this feature as part of his internship with NEZINE. He can be reached at [email protected]