Writer’s café has given a new lease to burn survivors in the city by employing them. But they want foodies to forget the sympathy factor and come over to relish the delicious bakes and revel in their great collection of books

It is difficult to miss Higginbotham’s Writers Café on Peter’s Road in Royapettah. It is a beautiful imposing property that serenades you with the aroma of baked goodies as you reach the vicinity. And once you enter, you can only marvel at the décor, choicest menu and the lovely people who are running the show from the kitchen area.

In December 2016, the city got its first café that has a noble cause attached to it and employs burn survivors by teaching them to bake. It helps them to learn some professional skills to lead a life with dignity and self-esteem. The restaurant is a pilot project by one of city’s top restaurateurs and chairman of Oriental Cuisines, M Mahadevan.

The staff at Writer’s Café was picked from the burns ward of Kilpauk Medical College in association with Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC), an organisation that works among victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Proceeds would go to International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC), where the women receive physiotherapy and psycho-social therapy.

The women burn survivors were trained close to six months prior to the launch of the café by Chef Silke Stadler from Switzerland who flew down to train us in Swiss dishes. The café offers everything from Flammkuchen (Swiss version of pizza), pastas, and sandwiches to cakes, muffins and lots of desserts.

The in-house bookstore on the first floor has been steadily attracting a slew of visitors. One can go upstairs browse through books, read and then come down to the ground floor to have a lovely meal.

So what are you waiting for, next time you plan an outing with friends or want to indulge in some ‘me-time’, head to this cool new hangout spot!