Top News

To define the culinary scene of Hyderabad through its biryani handi or seasonal haleem is to tell only half the story.

Yes, these dishes are iconic. But the rhythm of the city is more measured in the gentle, daily clink of a porcelain saucer against a cup of Irani chai at 6 pm. And in that landscape, you cannot talk about tea without talking about the baked goods.

Specifically, the iconic, crumbly, sweet and salty Osmania biscuit or a savoury egg puff with a laminated thousand-layer crust that shatters perfectly upon the first bite. They are the ultimate cultural anchors that have defined generations of teatime gossip.

But what do you do when life, career or family takes you thousands of miles away to a country where the local bakery culture does not understand the assignment? Where high tea means standard British shortbread and absolutely no one sells the moon-shaped Chand biscuits?

London gets its first Hyderabadi bakery

Recently inaugurated in East London, Hyderabad to London Bakers has quietly planted its flag on a historic milestone: it is officially the first authentic Hyderabadi bakery in Europe.

While London has long boasted exceptional sit-down Deccani restaurants capable of curing a weekend craving for a Nizami dinner, the everyday ritual of the Irani cafe and neighbourhood bakehouse remained an untapped frontier. By focusing entirely on the “in-between hours”, this new storefront is bridging a profound gap for the homesick diaspora.

According to the bakery’s Instagram page, they are tapping into the staples like stacks of golden-baked Osmania biscuits, fruit biscuits, coconut macaroons and many more. They are also offering flaky, golden curry puffs alongside tightly wrapped chicken rolls, replicating the nostalgic, old-school bakery textures. Hard to find heritage treats like Fine Biscuit, Dilkhush and Dilpasand are also available with rich Double ka Meetha and classic jam rolls.

With old school bakeries and neighbourhood Irani cafes disappearing faster than ever across Hyderabad, this new opening miles away says a lot about the resilience of the city’s food heritage. The fact that a sweet Dilkhush can be found on London’s Romford Road proves that even as institutions vanish, rituals that defined generations can ultimately find a second life on the global stage.