Day in the life of a business owner: Chandani Kohli, Biskut Bar

Chandani Kohli, founder of Biskut Bar

In the first of our Business Edit, showcasing women who have set up and run their own business, we spoke to Chandani.

Chandani founded and runs Biskut Bar, a marketplace of boldly aromatic Indian biscuits and snacks. She uniquely develops each recipe in celebration of her South Asian heritage with spice-forward flavours in mind. 

I set up Biskut Bar because … 

There is little, if any, exposure to Indian biscuits in the West. While many are familiar with Indian cuisine, namely spice infused savoury dishes, there is a gaping hole in the knowledge of Indian biscuits.

Much like the British afternoon tea time, in many South Asian homes, an afternoon respite with copious masala chai and biscuits are part and parcel of daily life. I founded Biskut Bar to make physical, my memories of summers spent in Punjab, to share the personal indulgence of spice-led biscuits I knew and loved with my own children, to offer treats that are built on intentional use of spices and Ayurveda, packed sustainably and for the conscious consumer. And finally, to take space alongside the Italian cantucci, French sable, Argentine alfajores and British shortbreads of the world. 

My heritage and lived experience have played a part in my career decisions by … 

Getting me to this very spot. Full stop. I am in this moment because of learning, owning and celebrating where I came from and the decisions I’ve made throughout my younger years, whether I liked them or not.

As South Asian foods and superfoods become more mainstream by way of turmeric, Ashwagandas, and the billion-dollar Wellness industry, the more I am driven to understand my food history from which these superfoods originate. In turn, I am driven to showcase how these spices and herbs can be used in a playful and novel way through biscuits. 

A typical day for me …

Is not typical at all except for the morning routine of getting my children dressed, fed, and to school on time! With work, because I am in the early stages of a deep learning curve, each day brings with it a varied schedule of baking, packing, marketing, accounting, recipe development, and entrepreneurship.

The biggest challenge of running my business is  …

The loneliness of founding a company. It is the one thing I think about and want to enhance and grow each day but not even your closest tribe member will be able to share that excitement, disappointment, challenge, and reward with you each step of the way.

But the biggest reward is … 

Waking up every day and creating.

“Failure” in business isn’t always a bad thing … 

Because much like the laws of physics as noted by Isaac Newton (that is: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”), our business decisions fall into the same rule of thumb. Making a decision one way is by default to reject another way. Not all consequences can be known and so a failure in some part is inevitable. We must see the failure as a failed attempt or a setback and be flexible, quick, and innovative enough to make another decision to offset it.

The best career advice I’ve received was….

Less career advice, and more life advice: where there is a will there is a way. If you want something badly enough you’ll find a way to achieve it.

The advice I’d give to women wanting to set up their own business is … 

Be clear about your “why” because all the decisions you make should help build into your why. Be clear about your moral compass because you will need to say no for the sake of your business and for the longevity of your mental health. Be clear about your fears and do what you need to do to keep them at bay. And finally, be unabashedly certain of your belonging whether you feel it or not.

Just go for it!

The three qualities I think you need for this career are …

Curiosity. Laughter. Flexibility.

The best thing about my job …

Is that every day I get to use my own hands to share in my creations and ultimately…hopefully…to fill someone else’s memory bank with the joy of Indian biscuits.

What I do to switch off …

Listening to a podcast or book while on a run.

You can check out and buy Chandani’s biscuits over on the Biskut Bar website.