Wenger's Bakery Completes 100 Years of Operation in Connaught Place
Wenger's, the historic bakery located in Connaught Place, has marked a century of operation in the capital, celebrating 100 years as one of Delhi's most enduring culinary establishments. The confectionery continues to draw multi-generational crowds, from university students and corporate executives to elderly patrons lining up at its counters for traditional bakes and savoury specialities.
The bakery was originally established in 1926 by Mr and Mrs Wenger as a Swiss bakery catering to British troops and Indian royalty. In the 1940s, the enterprise was acquired by the Tandon family. Today, third-generation cousins Atul Tandon and Aman Tandon manage the establishment, overseeing daily production and ensuring ingredient quality across the menu.
While operating on a strictly takeaway model with signature white-and-red packaging, Wenger's has preserved its staple items, including mutton patties, shami kebabs, cream rolls, pineapple pastries, chocolate eclairs, rum balls, lemon tarts, and French hearts. The bakery has also added modern offerings such as macarons, mini baguette pizzas, and red velvet pastries, alongside the adjoining Wenger's Deli, which opened in 2013 to serve pastas, pizzas, hot dogs, and smoothies.
Charanjeet Singh, the 82-year-old manager who joined the bakery in 1965, witnessed the business transition over six decades. He noted that Wenger's originally sold only four pastry flavours—vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and pineapple—prepared using margarine rather than fresh cream or buttercream. At the time, gâteaux in fruit flavours sold for ₹3, while chocolate gâteaux were priced at ₹4. The bakery now produces more than 40 types of cakes and 70 varieties of pastries and mousse.
Over the decades, the bakery has served numerous high-profile patrons, including former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, artist MF Husain, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, cricketer Gautam Gambhir, and actor Shah Rukh Khan, who frequented the shop during his television days.
Reflecting on the 100-year milestone, Singh credited the bakery's longevity to its consistency and breadth of selection, noting that no confectionery has sustained such quality and variety over time.
