Time in Dehradun ticks at a slower pace. Romanticised by literature and films, the town lives up to its storied reputation, you’ll agree, if you’ve ever paid a visit.

Seemingly plucked from the pages of a book, it’s whimsical; the aroma of fresh bakes wafts out from every second store, tempting you to make a detour and grab a bite before you head on your way. Heed the temptation.

At ‘Elloras’, it’s not just coffee and a bun that you’ll be ditching your agenda for, but also a great story.

Started in 1953, the bakery has lived on Rajpur Road for so long it’s become one with the landscape. As the third generation, Drona Gulati (34) and Mudit Gulati (36), who are taking their legacy forward, share, the bakery was the brainchild of their grandfather, Shri Krishan Lal Gulati, who served in the Indian Army for over a decade before opting for retirement. When Gulati landed in Dehradun, it was as a refugee, the eldest of five siblings who had just lost their father. The bakery was his attempt at eking out a living, never fathoming that it would one day gain such an important place in the town’s memory.

Drona shares, “My grandfather had two brothers. One of them dealt in daily items like milk, cold drinks, juices and FMCG. The other brother was into retail garments and shawls.”

How did the idea of a bakery visit Gulati?

“In the pre-Independence era, many senior-ranking British officials had their summer houses here [in Dehradun]. They needed chefs who could cook for their palate preferences. Once the British left India in 1947, these chefs and butlers, well-versed in baking bread, were left behind. They couldn’t be employed in the sweet shops of India as their techniques and makes differed.”

Gulati had an idea. Why not champion these chefs’ expertise in starting a bakery?

Thus, Elloras was born.

BYOB (bake your own bread) & some wood-fire magic

Interesting to note is that all Elloras outlets are in Dehradun — the no-preservative policy necessitates that bakes must be consumed within their natural shelf life. But, beyond the bakeries too, Drona says, Elloras’ products are........

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