Celebrating 5 years of Gourmet CBP

• Sri Lanka’s favourite dessert with a gourmet twist

Whether it be entertaining friends or indulging with the family, an inherently Sri Lankan dessert like Chocolate Biscuit Pudding (CBP) is a staple on any table. Fondly known as CBP, the layers of crunchy biscuit and decadent chocolate cream is loved by all. In fact most families have their own versions of this classic, with twists of their own and secret ingredients. Bringing to life one of these much-loved recipes and adding a “gourmet” touch to it, Gourmet CBP was birthed in 2016.

Founded by Primani Wijeyesekera who was already in the business of running a chain of cafes and being a writer at the same time, the aim was to introduce a range of CBP to the market that anyone could enjoy when the cravings hit. Together with her tea-taster husband Dilan who looks into the business development aspect of the brand, they launched a family-business that has grown exponentially in a short period of time.

“Our Chocolate Biscuit Puddings were something we anyway enjoyed as a family favourite for decades. Since of late although there are so many parties doing CBP, back in 2016 there were only a handful that were doing good quality desserts. Though this was a family favourite for us, we noticed that in general the perception of CBP was that of a ‘cheap’ dessert. We wanted to change this perception, and thus introduced the name ‘Gourmet CBP’ to emanate the quality of our CBPs. We also wanted to do multiple variations of this much loved dessert, which has resulted in us having over 20 varieties, five years later,” Wijeyesekera said.

Come 2021, and despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic Gourmet CBP has battled it out and recently even launched their own dedicated website https://gourmetcbp.appigo.co/ to ensure that their loyal customers now have the ability to order their individual CBP jars, family packs for home and home, and the larger quantities for entertaining.

“When the initial lockdown back in March 2020 hit, it gave us an unparalleled opportunity to go beyond our comfort zones and really stretch ourselves to meet the crazy demand. We took up that challenge, which resulted in hundreds of new customers getting to taste our desserts during that time. Delivery proved to be a crucial factor for us and since we had already partnered with UberEats and also had our private deliveries, we were able to reach customers at a time many food vendors closed down.  It was extremely challenging for us, particularly because sourcing ingredients was an absolute nightmare during the pandemic. But if there is a will, there is always a way,” she added.

Gourmet CBP is run by a close knit family with two small children and its priority has always been family-first. The brand has also used social media effectively to not only build brand presence but also garner new customers and reach audiences worldwide. 

Despite health complications in 2017 that resulted in them taking a step back Gourmet CBP’s small but loyal workforce has been able to keep consistently delivering on its promise of decadent desserts. It has now built a substantial base of customers through the years and have a solid supply chain. Hence, as the first step of its large-scale expansion plans, some of the bestseller CBPs will also be available at Glomark from October. 

Gourmet CBPs is to evolve into doing a more extensive variety of gourmet quality desserts. They have already shipped desserts overseas and will continue to explore this avenue too. Plans are also underway to work with like-minded brands and restaurants in doing collaborations with the aim of getting a larger base of customers to enjoy their desserts.

Gourmet CBP is on Instagram and Facebook while they also carry out deliveries through AppiGo Rush, Ubereats and PickMe food. Operating from its home location in Battaramulla, they also have a small store at the Arcade Independence Square.