The Quintessentia: Authentic Luxury
The Quintessentia create original, handcrafted desserts which have caused a sumptuous stir. Founded by two sisters, Jilna Gosrani and Mishna Shah, the luxury sweets brand has remarkably thrived despite the current economy. “We’ve enjoyed continuing to make someone’s day, especially during the time of lockdown.” Providing a stunning array of detailed mini-desserts for a variety of special occasions, such as wedding receptions, brunches, big birthdays and portable picnics, the dexterous duo creatively addresses the gastronomic gap in the Vegetarian market. The epitome of dietary refinement, their contemporary subcontinental sweets include the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake which has been their biggest hit: “we love working with weird and wonderful, flavoursome combinations. The Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, for example, was baked on a whim and has been our hero since. It’s not traditionally sweet and so attracts the younger taste buds. However, it also contains the spices, Saffron and Cardamom, which is enjoyed by the older generation. We want to preserve our Indian heritage while making the treats beautifully accessible!”
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Originally from Kenya in East Africa, Jilna and Mishna specialise in less sugary, egg-free afters that are also exciting and truly delicious: “we first tried to deliver the vision at Mishna’s engagement party, and were very successful. The guests loved it! It was a no-brainer from then.” A people product, The Quintessentia desserts actually began in the hearts of the two sisters who learned to bake with their mother and grandmother who were “excellent cooks”. Indeed, impressively loyal to its name, the company provides a total tantalising experience known for its grand dessert tables that are as much an enchanting display: “our aim is to make desserts that look amazing, but taste even better. We love different textures, aesthetics, and the whole process of culinary enjoyment – people taste with their eyes, and feel the glee with their spirits. We want people to remember the events, and help customers stand out.”
The Quintessentia have created a delectable dessert buffet at the Meridian Grand which consisted of sixteen tiers and offered 2000 desserts, including different mousses, cheesecakes, chocolates and tarts: “The bride loved sweets and wanted the course to be as memorable as the main meal!” The sisters also make bespoke bonbons which include the hand painted Passion Peacock and Fiery Ruby with raspberry, yuzu and chilli ganache- filled ruby chocolate. “There’s also the key lime coconut ladoo bonbon on which we airbrush a gradient of white and green to make the chocolate visually pop.” The Quintessentia’s consultations with customers allows them to understand both what is exactly wanted, and experiment with new appetising conceptions: “we always do a ‘taste & talk’ session based on flavours and the sort of person a client is. One bride, for example, really loved lychee and a tart flavour goes really well with that. This resulted in another hit of ours: the Lychee Hibiscus Cheesecake. People have just continued to request it!”
And so, The Quintessentia are as much innovators as they are dedicated bakers: “actually”, the two added, “the business has gained momentum itself. We’ve had catering services and restaurants approach us to work with them. This is lucky because we’re both creative and utterly devoted to the food, and prefer to concentrate on that.” Jilna is the stylist so to speak, focussing on the presentation, and Mishna is particularly sensitive to flavours, enhancing the impeccable taste. “We’ve been able to convert people to ingredients through the rich adventure of subtly sweet canapes. Also using fresh fruit in our creations, the menu is superior as well as eye-catching!” Through their adaptable, talented touch, The Quintessentia reinvents a fundamental rule of professionalism: to focus on the quality not only naturally sells, but also grows and packages the content.
