For Mahmood it is finance by day and flour by night.

Mahmood works in finance as a banker, but runs his own dessert catering business on the side. He originally began baking as a child because his grandma used baking as an activity to keep him busy and behaving.

“I was a naughty kid, so my parents would send me to stay with my grandparents. My grandma found that the only way to control my temper was with Betty Crocker,” Mahmood said. “She would say, ‘Mahmood, go read what’s on the box and gather the ingredients.’ So I would help her stir and mix. Gradually baking at her house out of the Betty Crocker box became my responsibility. It was known as Mahmood’s task.”

Mahmood eventually left Bahrain to study in Australia. Far away from home, he began experimenting with cooking and baking, often making dishes and foods that his friends craved. However, it was only when a cake he baked for a friend’s birthday party received rave reviews that he realized he might be onto something.

When he returned to Bahrain, Mahmood continued to feed his friends, and soon people began asking him if he catered. Now Mahmood’s products are in high demand and he runs his own catering business, Mahmood Janahi – Cakes and Bakes.

“I cater for a niche of people, it is high quality baking,” Mahmood said. “I bake with passion so quality comes first, before profitability.”

The Betty Crocker box now far behind him, Mahmood’s signature dessert is the “crownie,” a mix of a cookie and a brownie. To try the “crownie” one doesn’t even need to contact Mahmood, as it is currently on the menu at Blaze Restaurant in Adliya.