Wenger’s marks 100 years at Delhi’s Connaught Place

Charanjeet Singh has worked behind Wenger’s counter since 1965. At 82, the bakery’s manager remembers when the pastry selection had four flavours: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and pineapple.

Wenger’s at Connaught Place has now completed 100 years. Established in 1926 by Mr and Mrs Wenger, the bakery originally served British troops and Indian royalty before the Tandon family acquired it in the 1940s. Today, cousins Atul Tandon and Aman Tandon oversee production and ingredients as the third generation of the family to run the business.

The old favourites remain

Wenger’s continues to operate as a takeaway bakery, with customers ordering at glass counters and eating in the corridor outside or carrying away its familiar white-and-red boxes. Its long-running menu includes chocolate eclairs, pineapple pastries, cream rolls, shami kebabs, mutton patties, lemon tarts, chocolate jap, French hearts and black forest cake.

Singh recalls that the earlier pastries used margarine rather than fresh cream or buttercream. Gâteaux cost ₹3 in vanilla, strawberry and pineapple, while chocolate versions sold for ₹4. The bakery now makes more than 40 kinds of cakes and 70 varieties of pastries and mousse, he says.

Newer additions

Macarons, mini baguette pizzas and red velvet pastries have joined the classic bakes. Next door, Wenger’s Deli has offered a smaller range of pasta, pizza, hot dogs and smoothies since 2013.