The Dairy Director

She hails from the legendary Parsi Dairy family and is now running the operations of the 107-year-old brand. Fourth generation, Parvana Mistry is pretty, driven and a happy Parsi foodie

Interviewed by Lyle Michael

There’s a new buzz around Marine Lines, Princess Street to be exact, where the icon of milk and milk products has been unveiled in an all-new avatar. Very London-esque yet rooted in its famed history of the blue-eyed milk brand of Bombay. Parsi Dairy is swanky and inviting as ever, with the fourth generation running the show. Of which we have Parvana Mistry, the youngest of the lot, attractive and bubbly as a glass of champagne, heading operations for her family brand. And she’s a mother of two!

It’s a no-brainer that you have to have a sweet tooth if you belong to, or work at, Parsi Dairy. Parvana doesn’t just tick that box but is also trained professionally as a pâtissier, earning distinction in Cuisine &Pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu, London, back in 2011. Prior to, her foundation in baking & confectionery was laid at the Sophia’s Polytechnic Institute in 2009. An internship at The TajMahal hotel gave her the hands-on experience she needed and it’s all evident in the day-to-day operations of Parsi Dairy, as you will witness when you enter the large store in red – the colour of celebration – and blue – the subtle charm retained – with a vast assortment of sweets and milk products to entice you. The kulfi is just as it is, their claim to fame, along with the bharelapeda, milky rich and not cloyingly sweet in the least.

Parvana smiles as she recalls her days behind the counter as a young girl, eagerly awaiting a taste of the malai khaja and the sutarfeni, some of her favourites. “I loved being in the karkhana as a youngster. All of us kids would have dairy duties at the store, we would start packing the sweets and work at the galla, we were surrounded by sweets, especially during festivals. After the festival was over, we would all go upstairs and party.” Parvana makes no bones about the fact that hers was a typical loud Parsi family that loves food. “What will we eat today?” was the first question on everyone’s mind.

To give you a trace of history of the Parsi Dairy Farm, Parvana’s maternal great grandfather, NarimanArdeshir, founded the iconic brand in 1916, starting out with a single milk can! Today, 107 years later, a refurbishment has revamped the brand infusing it with young blood and a plethora of products – with the old intact and the new staying true to its sweet goodness.

Parvana elaborates, “My sister, Zeenia is the brand director and my cousin brothers, Bakhtyar and Sarfaraz, handle finance and sales and digital marketing respectively. The four of us have been wanting to relaunchParsi Dairy for so long that we just had to go for it. A lot of in-depth study went into it, the market and its products, and we brought out innovations like the tilt to the iconic ghee bottle, the reusable butter box and cream pouch. You have live yogurt counters for a fun experience and the cutest Great Indian Toffee in a circus-themed box.” After all, Parsi Dairy is a circus of sweet flavours. And savoury, too, like the all-new Masala Paneer which has been packing in quite a punch since its introduction. The Bengali sweets are top in quality and the large, round jalebis, a continuous hit. “I was always fascinated with how the staff make the jalebis so perfectly. I still can’t make a proper one!,” laughs Parvana.

The staff at Parsi Dairy is nothing less than family with fourth generation employees, too, and new ones who have also been employed from deaf and mute foundations which Parvana volunteers at. What goes around comes around and she is more than happy to run her staff with a loving hand. It’s a tough task being Operations Director, but it’s a role she just slid into and enjoys beyond anything. “My schedules are crazy but lovely,” she smiles. “You have to multitask, but you have to prioritise between home and work. My husband, Shahen Mistry, an architect, is a big support and my kids, Leah and Liam are taking after us, helping out at the store and giving me their valuable insights on the products. My son loves to eat!”

Undoubtedly, travel is part and parcel of the job and Parvana has her fair share of it. “I have to travel to other cities to check out the machinery and inventory and learn, learn, learn. My dad always says, ‘if you keep your eyes open, you learn something from someone. There is so much change taking place all around you’.”

From her time in London at LCB to the Parsi Dairy Farm, Parvana has only been evolving as a pâtissier and a woman, moulding herself into the professional she is today. “LCB gave me some of the best years of my life where I learnt the techniques of baking from top chefs in the world and today, I am able to sit with our maharajas at Parsi Dairy and I know exactly what they are doing. We have never interfered with the original recipes but have brought about some new ones like the khoprapak with a raspberry fusion. And all our products are 100% preservative-free!”

When you stop by Parsi Dairy – two new ones in Borivali and Ghatkopar now – make sure you check out the history trail on the wall. Better yet, let Parvana take you through it! And download the Parsi Dairy app for online milk delivery, why don’t you!