United Bakery, with its polished teak entrance doors and interior, has been an iconic landmark in Karachi’s Saddar downtown area since 1949. Over the passage of time, it has earned a name for itself with a vast variety of baked goods, especially among members of the nearby resident Christian community, for its Christmas treats and confectionary items.

Come Christmas and their staple plum cake sells… well… like the proverbial hotcake!

No Christmas celebration can be considered complete without the rich, decadent and dense plum cake. In fact, plum cake is to Christmas what sheer khorma is to Eid. Comprising mostly of a unique blend of rich, creamy thickness and sweet-bitter taste, this king among cakes has its roots embedded deep in Christmas culture.

No wonder then that, come winter, all anybody wants to do is settle down with a big cup of hot chocolate and a thick slice of the yummy, gooey goodness of the chewy plum cake.

You’ll also find other Christmas confectionary items within the glass showcases at United Bakery, such as pastries bearing classic images of Christmas trees and marzipan in cute little plastic pouches with ribbons.

United Bakery in Karachi evokes nostalgia, cheer and goodwill come Christmas time, especially with its famous plum cake

United Bakery is unlike any other — perhaps its only competition was the Misquita Bakery near Lucky Star in Saddar. Sadly, the latter shut down and ceased operations some years ago after the owners reportedly moved abroad. Since then, Misquita Bakery has reopened near Cafe Clifton, close to the Sea View strip, allegedly under new ownership.

But not all is rosy on the United Bakery front either; it is struggling to operate due to rising inflation and the widespread gas supply shortage, because of which the bakery has to resort to using gas cylinders to keep operations going smoothly. This has led to a tenfold increase in operational costs and decreased gas pressure, which has had ominous telltale effects on some of its end products, such as bread loaves, etc.

Thankfully, not on the iconic plum cake!

Here’s hoping United Bakery stays around catering to the next few generations to come, as it is a landmark from the past, a distant echo of how lifestyles used to be.

Merry Christmas to all those celebrating!

The writer is a member of staff.
X: @faisal_quraishi

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 24th, 2023