"LET THEM eat cake!" Marie Antoinette, the dauphine of France, supposedly cried before she lost her head. Centuries later, Kainaz Messman is spreading the same message throughout Mumbai – although her feet are planted firmly on the ground.

The 28-year-old is the brain behind Theobroma, or Theo's - her own French style café, which serves up food for the Gods. Having started from scratch, Messman now supervises three kitchens, with a total workforce of 45 people and a turnover of Rs 15 to 20 lakh a month. In the pipeline is her own TV show.

Unlike Antoinette, she doesn't for one minute believe that cake can replace bread. But Messman claims that an indulgent dessert of afternoon pastry can restore smiles and banish woes.

However, Messman had to overcome her own woes before she could realise her dream. In 2003, she was appointed pastry chef at the Oberoi, Udaivilas. Before long, she began suffering from a severe pain in her back. Eventually, she had to trade in her chef 's uniform for a year of constant care and physiotherapy It was a blessing in disguise because time . out of the kitchen gave Messman the chance to devise Theobroma.

"My biggest fear is not being able to cook," said Messman. "Although the doctors had declared an end to my career, I was determined to continue serving delicacies. Theobroma was conceived in that interim period."

A man's world?:  A graduate of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in Dadar, Messman completed a three-year postgraduate course in kitchen management at the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development. Many people warned her it was a male-dominated industry .

"At IHM, plenty warnings were issued that mine was an incorrect profession for girls," Messman recalled. "One of our trainers, however, took a chance and submitted my name to the National Chef competition. It was the first all-girls team in 15 years. We got back from the finals in Chandigarh with 14 of the 17 trophies."

In addition, Messman drew on her family's traditional obsession with food and desserts to take the leap of faith. In her house, Sunday meals were decided a week in advance, midnight munchies of ice cream and chocolate were a regular habit and mother played dessert genie, whipping up sweet sensations on the indulgent whims of her daughters. Messman's orientation towards sugar was thus predetermined. "Mum ran a private catering business," she said. "There would be cauldrons of truffles at home, which my friends and I thoroughly exploited after club nights."

 A French education:  If the seeds of culinary indulgence were planted at home in India, it was France that saw Messman's taste for all things sweet turn into an obsession. She spent a year in Albi, South France, as an exchange student, but rather than sit in a classroom learning about Marie Antoinette, she would skip school and pâtisserie-hop with friends.

"I'd sit for hours gathering recipes from my host mum and leaf through French cook books. Albi prides itself on its secret recipes and real, homegrown food," said Messman.

Theobroma opened its doors in October 2004 and was the result of Messman's collective experiences. The brick-layered pâtisserie, located at the nape of Colaba's flea market serves a mean breakfast, hot subs and cold sandwiches, and a selection of desserts that ensure a steady flow of customers all day.

"The first six months were tough and physically vexing for my mum and I," she said. "We had a very understated launch and never anticipated such a response. It was heart ening to see queues outside, but for a while we didn't know how to deal with it. The desserts we had stocked up for three days sold out in four hours."

With prices ranging from Rs 20 for an oven-fresh croissant to Rs 1,200 upwards for custom-made cakes, anyone can enjoy Theo's. Despite originally only serving deserts, Messman has branched out into savoury snacks too. "Regulars would spend hours here and started asking for savoury items," she said. "Hailing from a five-star training, I was quite strong-minded about what I'd have on the menu initially, but I've learned to accommodate my clients' needs."

Despite all the other influences on Theo's, it is France to which Messman keeps returning "I learned in Albi the value of real, homemade produce," she said. "Nothing from Theobroma is externally sourced. My whole family is involved in the daily operations, from running the shop to back-end details. I wanted the place to exude a warmth and feeling of familiarity ."

In the future, Messman is considering turning Theo's into a franchise, but worries about sacrificing the values of her French-inspired, homely feel. "We've toyed with the idea of a franchise, although that means compromising on family involvement," she said. "So that's a tug-of-war situation right now."

Regulars, and those itching for Messman's secret ingredients, can expect to see her hosting a cooking show shortly "My sister Tina has already devised a . business plan for the TV show. I also want to write a book on desserts only," said Messman.

hotjobs@hindustantimes.com

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A day in her life:

 7.30 am: Kainaz begins her day with yoga or a run.

 8.30 am: She visits the bakery to make sure everything is on schedule.

 9.00 am: She eats a breakfast of oats with skimmed milk and dry fruits.

11.00 am: The kitchen is her next destination. Here, she takes stock of what has been prepared.

2.00 pm: Lunch is a snappy affair of dal, rice and vegetables prepared by her staff.

2.30 pm: On busy days, such as the weekend, Kainaz heads to the cafe to interact with clients, man the cash register and deal with snags. On easy days, she heads back to her office to continue researching new dishes for her menu.

6.30 pm: Works out at the gym.

7.30 to 11.00 pm: Meets friends for a movie at Inox, then heads for drinks to Wink or Indigo Deli. Later, she often grabs dinner with friends at Ling's Pavilion or Copper Chimney.

11. 30 pm: Makes one last stop at Theobroma to check on what food items are left over and to collect the cash.

12.00 pm: Reads books or scans through the newspaper before sleeping.

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Case Study

Rapidfire:

 Star sign:

 Virgo

What sort of films do you watch?

 My current favourites are Jab We Met, The Holiday and Chak De! India.

 Three books you have recently read:

Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, Lance Armstrong's It's not about the Bike – My Journey Back to Life, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

 If not a chef, what would you be?

 A lawyer. That was my second career option.

Which superhero gets your vote?

Garfield. He only sleeps and eats and that's my sort of hero.

What are you most afraid of?

I have a cardamom phobia. I can't stand its taste and smell.

Which three songs would you like to be courted with?

Love will Keep us Alive by The Eagles, Two Steps Behind by Def Lepard and More than Words by Extreme.

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Case Study

CHATROOM: MUMBAI, PARIS, THE WORLD? MESSMAN ON HER INSPIRATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS

Nigel Slater, the award-winning British food author, journalist and broadcaster, reinforced my belief in keeping food real and uncomplicated.

What do you do in your spare time?

I was lucky to meet a French couple who are retired patissiers on holiday in Mumbai. They ate at Theo's and were so pleased that they invited me to Paris, to get acquainted with their chefs. I spent a week learning new recipes such as macaroons and the seasonal brioche, which are now popular features on my menu. I also take frequent trips to France and London to sample desserts across cafés and pâtisseries.

Who are your role models?

 Nigel Slater, the award-winning British food author, journalist and broadcaster. He reinforced my belief in keeping food real and uncomplicated. Gordon Ramsay comes across as a real taskmaster on TV but he , has a superb work ethic. Pierre Herme is, of course, the God of pastry Till I learnt about him, I believed . pastry could either look good or taste good. He shattered that myth. His stores in Paris, Tokyo and such are considered pastry art galleries.

What are your personal goals?

I'm eager to learn a musical instrument. I'm also extremely health conscious - working out is a daily feature and I run the marathon each year. I also want to start a cookery school. On the professional front, Theo's is still a drop in the ocean, operating from one locality I've had of . fers from UK and Canada to invest in the café abroad, but India is still an interesting market for me.