Tucked away in  Bandra, is Sante, a patisserie and delicatessen.

A mere two years old, Santé has managed to get loyal clientele from across the city by word of mouth.  The bamboo frontage, helps Santé break through the clutter of monotonous brick walled shops around it. The glass door giving a tantalising peek inside, adds to the charm.

The shop opens to exotic yoghurt flavours; alongside, the coolers are stacked with cheese, fresh home-made dips and chutneys. The variations of cheese, Danish, French and Italian are displayed besides the cold-cuts. If the meats and cheese on display are intimidating, a lady with salt-and-pepper hair standing behind the counter is happy to offer suggestions and help deal with the wide range of salamis, turkey-cuts, cheese, etc
Milanda Jagtiani, the proprietor, is friendly and keen to help her clients. “People walking in  to explore, have approached me  enquiring about the different meats and cheese. I am happy to share my knowledge of food with them," says Milan.

Before the  shop opened, Milan supplied customized cakes to celebrities. "I always dreamt of starting something like this. Then Cedric D'souza, India's ex-hockey captain and  coach, (currently coach of the Greek hockey team), approached me to partner him in starting a gourmet shop. It took  six months to find a suitable location. It was so frustrating! I finally decided to take any place we got next," she adds. Thus, Santé found its place in the bustling Pali Market.

"Being a small place, we cannot overcrowd it and so we are selective of what we put on the shelves," says Milan. Customers  come to Santé looking for specific products and Milan gets satisfaction helping them.

Santé offers its clients a wide variety of the best salamis, cheese, hams and turkeys. The German Pepper salami, Napoli salami, Milano, Chorizo, Chicken salami, Honey Glazed Chicken salami and the Italian salami with Paprika can be found on the shelves often. "We also offer a wide range of hams like the French Honey Roast ham, French cooked ham, Belgium barbeque ham, Italian toast ham, Pancetta, the Black Forest, Proscuitto, Mortadella and Serrano," says Cedric adding, "The Turkey breasts; cooked, roasted and smoked are popular too."

In the cheese section, you could choose from a variety of Gouda to Edam and Brie or the cheddars, parmesan and the mozzarella. "Our clients are always ready to experiment and so we stock the uncommon ones like the Roquefort, Rustique, Provolone, Monteray Jack, Comte, Camembert, Chevre and the Feta”, says Cedric.

As a regular customer enters, Milan explains,  "She comes here often to collect her sandwich which is custom-made. You can order beforehand, choosing from the condiments and the meat and viola, the sandwich  is ready and waiting for you," she says smiling.   "I get calls on a daily basis from customers and we can proudly say that every detail is taken care of. In fact, Homi Adajania, the director of Being Cyrus, calls up like this is his home! But I do not take telephonic orders from first timers, I am very particular about that, "she emphasizes.  "And if my customers have a special liking  for certain desserts, I try to make a very tantalizing mix of it so that the person can experience all of it in the same dessert. Even hampers are made-to-order," she points out.

So what is the most taxing part about owning a successful gourmet shop? "We are unique, so what is  irritating is when people come and click photographs of the place and copy the pricing," says  Milan, a bit upset. Her shop is a little haven for those who used to lug back food stuff from abroad, thinking they wouldn’t find it in India."

Milan is not keen on expansion. "I look at Santé more as a celebration shop, an experience. People come here to shop and stay on as friends sharing with me a part of their lives. All this will be impossible if we expand. Also, I won’t have  time to chat then!” she laughs. I share a great rapport with most of my clients, they even get behind the counter and guide the newer ones," she  smiles.

Santé
Shop No 1, Sahina Apts,
Pali Mala Road,
Bandra West, Bombay 400 050
Tel : 022 64501527, 26402126