A MOTHER-OF-ONE is taking on Tesco in a David and Goliath-style battle of the bakers.
Tejal Bathia, who runs her one-woman cake-making business from her home in Summerhouse Avenue, Heston, is up against the supermarket giant in a national competition.
The 43-year-old, who only started her business Mimi's Cakes three years ago, has been short-listed in the 'free from' category of the Cake Awards for her popular egg-free chocolate fudge cakes.
Her rivals are Tesco and another national company, Aulds Delicious Desserts, which describes itself as 'the UK's leading manufacturer of innovative desserts and patisserie'.
"It's a huge honour to be nominated for this award against such tough competition," said Ms Bathia, who still works part-time as a recruitment consultant when not whipping up treats for weddings birthdays and other special occasions.
"I've always enjoyed baking but it was only after I made a cake for my daughter and started getting requests from all the other parents that I seriously considered starting my own business.
"We do about three to four weddings a week, as well as making cakes for other occasions. The egg-free recipe is particularly popular with Asian weddings, where eggs are often not allowed for religious reasons."
The company is named after Ms Bathia's daughter Maya, 10, whose nickname is Mimi, and she often helps out in the kitchen.
Her egg-less chocolate fudge cake is one of 20 cakes to make the shortlist for the Cake Awards, the winners of which are due to be announced at a ceremony in London's Park Lane Hotel on July 17.
