Current The Great Australian Bake Off contestant and founder of micro bakery Another Whisk, Anirban Chanda is generating a name for himself for his bright and flavourful creations that playfully merge the flavours from his childhood in Bengal, India, with native Australian ingredients.

Baking Business caught up with Anirban recently to hear about what inspires him, his creation process, and just what is is that keeps drawing him back to the kitchen.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Anirban Chanda, a baker based in Sydney. By day I work in knowledge management, but the kitchen is where I feel most at home. My path to baking has not been traditional. I have come to it through memory, migration, and curiosity. Baking for me is more than technique; it is a way of weaving together flavours from Bengal, from India, where my roots are, and Australia, which I now call home. Through Another Whisk, I explore how these worlds speak to each other, creating bakes that are both familiar and surprising.

When and how did you discover baking? What are some of your early memories?

My first memories of baking go back to childhood, helping my mum with birthday cakes for me and my siblings. They were the best kind of homemade cakes, simple but full of love. They are still my favourites.

As I grew older and started travelling, both within India and abroad, I began learning new techniques and ideas that expanded how I thought about food. That was when I started experimenting, layering new methods with the flavours I had grown up with.

During Covid, baking became more than just a personal pursuit. I started sharing recipes on social media, and the response gave me confidence and momentum. It showed me that my food could resonate with people beyond my own kitchen.

Moving to Australia was another turning point. It introduced me to native ingredients and opened doors to opportunities like stepping into The Great Australian Bake Off shed. That journey helped me see baking not just as a passion but as a path worth following.

You’re currently competing on The Great Australian Bake Off – how has that experience been for you? What’s been a favourite part of it?

Bake Off has been equal parts joy and intensity. Every challenge pushes me to my limits, demanding speed, precision, and creativity, while also giving me the freedom to be bold with flavours I hold close to my heart. The experience has been a huge confidence boost. Getting feedback, praise, and advice from experts like Darren and Rachel is still surreal. My favourite part has been the community, discovering how much warmth, laughter, and generosity can exist even in a high-pressure kitchen.

You’re also the brains behind Another Whisk, which merges Australian native ingredients with Indian and South Asian flavours. Where did the inspiration for this come from?

The idea grew naturally from my journey. When I first encountered ingredients like wattleseed, lemon myrtle, and Davidson plum, they did not feel unfamiliar. They echoed flavours I already knew. Wattleseed reminded me of roasted spices, Davidson plum of tamarind, and lemon myrtle of citrus from home. Another Whisk was born from listening to those echoes and creating something that honours both heritage and place.

What are some of your favourite ingredients and flavours to work with? Are there any difficult ones?

I return often to jaggery, especially patali gur (Bengal jaggery from the sap of date palm tree), which is smoky and layered, full of memory. Chilli, pistachio, and coconut also inspire me endlessly, and in Australia I am fascinated by wattleseed and ingredients like lemon myrtle or Davidson plum. Chocolate is another constant. I enjoy working with it not just for its flavour but for the craft of tempering, the patience it demands, and the satisfaction of achieving the perfect shine and snap.

The more challenging ingredients are often those that can dominate a bake, like rose or fennel. I enjoy the challenge of finding balance with them because that is usually where the most exciting results come from.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Much of my inspiration comes from memory, from the foods and scents that defined seasons and celebrations when I was growing up. I also draw from discovery, whether that is conversations with growers, tasting native ingredients for the first time, or travelling and letting a new flavour change how I think. Inspiration is really a blend of the old and the new, memory in dialogue with discovery.

Visually, your products are also stunning. How does your creation process work?

I always start with flavour. Once the balance of taste and texture feels right, I think about how the bake should look. The visuals are not decoration for me; they are part of the story. Sometimes that means keeping things understated, other times it means leaning into colour and contrast. I want the presentation to prepare people for what they are about to taste, almost like a quiet introduction before the first bite.

What’s up next for you?

I already run a micro-bakery – Another Whisk, and my immediate focus is on expanding it, with the hope of eventually opening some permanent locations if everything goes as planned. Alongside that, I am continuing to experiment and develop new recipes, exploring flavours and techniques that push my baking further. I am also working on a cookbook to share recipes and stories from my journey. Additionally, I plan to host workshops and community events, creating spaces where people can experience flavours, techniques, and the joy of baking together.