From the Nawabs’ breakfast tables to Nehru’s morning loaf, this family-run establishment has baked wonders with flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and lots of love too!
In the bylanes of Nampally market, with a glass storefront and charming furnishings, Subhan Bakery looks thoroughly modern at first glance. Inside, wooden counters display freshly-baked rusks, cookies, and pastries. One slice of its simple plum cake makes the case for why this bakery has weathered the test of time.
Established in 1948 by Syed Khader, a traditional confectioner, the bakery was first opened as a home-based business nearly 75 years ago. At the time, they mostly supplied bread to a British regiment from a small garage. Although it was their only offering, these loaves quickly became a sought-after taste, charming the city’s Nawabs and common households alike. Two years later, Khader moved his operations to Nampally in the 1950s, where it is housed today, and named it after his son, Syed Subhan.
With this new address came more baked goods like khara biscuits and moon-cut chand biscuits — recipes that originated from the Irani Zoroastrian community. These were sold alongside their original loaf, which remained the decade’s best-seller. So much so that this bread, upon Nehru’s insistence, was even supplied for his breakfast spread.
Over time, these family techniques were passed on to Subhan and his brother. Together, the duo went ahead and updated the menu further, adding new cakes, puffs, and savouries for Hyderabad’s ever-changing clientele. Subhan’s son, Syed Irfan, a third-generation owner who runs the bakery today, believes that this culinary renaissance was crucial to their survival:
“My father [Syed Subhan] made a significant contribution to the growth of Subhan Bakery by modernising and renovating the whole shop. He used to tell me that the bakery should be known for at least one thing.”
In the late 1990s, this chef-d’oeuvre would arrive on the bakery’s shelves. Osmania biscuits, known for their sweet and salty balance, were already famous in Hyderabad as the Nizam’s favourite. But Irfan came up with a new way of making them, giving the classic crumble a distinct flavour. When asked what he does differently, Irfan teases with a knowing smile: “It’s a secret recipe that makes our biscuits taste better.”
During Muharram, the bakery churns out its crowd-pulling dum ke roat — a semolina-sugar-nut cookie recipe. Other flavourings, like cashews, fruits, oats, and rawa also fuel their iconic cookie repertoire.
Irfan, who runs the store with his brother, believes having such diverse selections is one of the reasons their family business has survived the onslaught of time, industry, and the age of fast-food chains. With many vintage eateries being shut down across Hyderabad, this family legacy seems all the more worthwhile.
“We are traditional bakers” says Irfan, who wants to find new ways to continue his grandfather’s legacy. Recently, the bakery has started using online platforms to keep up with changing times and ship their biscuits to neighbouring cities and states. Some were even flown to the US, UK, and Middle East by loyalists who bought the shop’s doughy delights for friends and family.
Meanwhile, the store itself has undergone renovations to rebrand itself as a modern patisserie. Behind its counters, however, a nostalgic family story carries on its silent revolution. Subhan Bakery, as Irfan says, “is being run by the third generation, [but] baking has been our family profession for over seven generations now.”
With plans to open new outlets in Secunderabad or the HiTech area in the future, Irfan hopes this family tradition will — like their bread — continue its rise. #Khabarlive #hydnews #hydlive #hyderabadlive
