Amid the din of honking vehicles at Pune’s Bajirao Road, in a city replete with cultural and culinary legends, is an institution in a league of its own. Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale is renowned for its quality and consistency in taste. Its patrons swear by its shrikhand, amba barfi, peda; its bakarwadi sells in several countries across the world. Even its most vocal critics — if they even exist — would be hard-pressed to point out a flaw in their products.

Partner Shrikrishna Chitale at the Bajirao Road branch of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale. The company has 12 franchisee outlets in Pune. Pics/Tanmay Chitale

“We actually started out as a dairy in Bhilawadi, Sangli, in 1939, which was established by my grandfather, Shri Bhaskar Chitale. My father, Raghunathrao (Bhausaheb) and his brother Rajabhau, opened the shop in 1950,” says Shrikrishna Chitale, a partner in the family-run company. The dairy is the bread-and-butter business for the group, selling nearly 3.75 lakh litre of milk every day in Pune. Their sweets and savouries, with an annual turnover of Rs 300 crore, give the brand most visibility — with bakarwadi leading the pack. Patrons flock to their two main shops and 12 other franchisee outlets in hordes.