A group of mothers in Kochi, Kerala, with seven autistic children have transformed their lives by running a successful baking business called “Ausome Bites”.

The venture began during the Covid-19 pandemic and has become a flourishing enterprise with monthly earnings ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh.

The team bakes a variety of nutritious, gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) products, including cookies, muffins, pound cakes and fruit cakes. Despite some team members being non-vocal, they independently manage orders through their website and WhatsApp.

The bakery operates out of a rented place in Edapally, Kochi, where the air is filled with the irresistible aroma of fresh baked goods. The team includes Shama Farook, the eldest at 34, and the only female member, as well as Sam Varghese, Brian Varghese, Antony Eby, Vaishnav Kuttikatt, Sohan Bijo and Aakash Sanjay.

They have honed their baking skills through a two-year training programme during the pandemic, which was initiated by their mothers. They are also members of Autism Club Kochi, a group formed in 2015 to empower parents and children with autism. The club’s objective is to bring like-minded people together who can make a difference in the lives of their gifted children by empowering them.

Anita Pradeep, the mentor of Ausome Bites, with her group of autistic people engaged in cake-mixing.

By 2022, Ausome Bites was registered as an NGO and complied with all the regulations stipulated by the Kochi Corporation and Legal Metrology Department.

Deepthi Mathews, the mother of Sam Varghese, shared that their children underwent in-house baking training during the pandemic, turning them into skilled bakers. The business’s growth has been significant, with support from the Rotary Club, which provided them with an industrial oven. Last Christmas, the team earned over ₹2 lakh.

“Since they (the seven bakers) can eat only a gluten-free diet, they have ensured that all the products are devoid of maida and refined sugar and are made of wheat and millet-based products. They don’t have a shop and the sale is through ausomebites.com. It’s a five-day job for them and during the weekends, if they have any special orders, they don’t have any qualms about wearing their aprons and start baking,” said Deepthi, a former software engineer.

Their products include cookies — wheat choco chips, wheat blondie, oats raisins, cornflakes, wheat masala and millet Italian Herb. While the brownies section has ragi wheat, ragi wheat caramel, white chocolate brownies and wheat blondies, cakes include wheat choco-chip muffins and marble pound cake.

Kuttikatt, 22, said: “Ausome Bites is doing awesome. I love cooking and even help my mom in her cooking by cutting veggies, making dosas andfrying papads. I also lovesinging and listening toBollywood songs.”