Bhuttey’s sweet shop, widely recognized as ‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal’, is one of the iconic food landmarks in Pokhara, Bhimsen Tole—an area famous for its houses built in traditional architectural styles.
‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal’ is not just any regular sweet shop. It holds a legacy of over 100 years, connects people across three generations and offers hot and crispy jeri (also known as jalebi) that we all love.
Today many people also recognize it as a social media sensation after its feature on some of the popular social media channels, along with media and magazines. However,people from the late nineties remember it as a shop that was started by a young man who was unable to join the Gurkha army.
Start of the Journey
Siddhi Lal Chulyaju, also known as ‘Bhuttey’, started ‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal.’ From a young age, Siddhi Lal wanted to become a Gurkha soldier. Driven by this dream, he went for army selection, but was unable to get recruited..
He then ventured to India and then to Burma (now Myanmar), where he learned a precious skill—the art of cooking sweets. Subsequently, he returned to Nepal with a life-changing skill at his disposal and started a small food stall, selling varieties of sweets, including jeri. Locals visited his stall daily to enjoy his delicious jeri. Traditional word-of-mouth marketing worked for him as people from neighboring localities also began visiting his stall to get a taste of his sweets. In a short time, ‘Bhuttey Ko Jeri Pasal’ was able to build a loyal customer base.
Siddhi Lal was already famous in his locality for his interest in art and craft and for performing the Lakhe dance during Gaijatra. Now, he had established a new identity as a sweet vendor. Over time, he passed down his skill of making delicious jeri to his wife and his young sons, ensuring they had a reliable source of income to rely on in the future.
After the demise of Siddhi Lal, his wife Misry Maya Chulyaju managed the shop along with her three sons. They knew one of them would continue this legacy for years to come. It was their youngest son—Rajkumar Chulyaju who would take on that responsibility.
Rajkumar and his passion for culinary creations
In his younger years, Rajkumar used to prepare foods for weddings and various events—an experience which laid the foundation for his journey in the food industry. Later, he took on the responsibility of a canteen at the Kanya Campus in Pokhara, which he managed for over a decade. Meanwhile, his elder brother and his mom managed the jeri shop. But the business had its toll. Both Misry and her elder son were suffering from high blood pressure. The rush was so much that they often failed to take their medicines on the prescribed time. After both fell ill, the fate of the shop was uncertain. The family was on the verge of closing it down permanently.
It was a difficult period of time and sadly, Misry Maya had to say goodbye to everyone. The family faced one of the hardest times after the demise of Siddhi Lal.
Rajkumar recognized the gravity of the situation and made a bold decision to leave the canteen to preserve his family legacy. He recalls the time as a crucial period of his growth: “I still remember the time. The experience of running the canteen to working in my own shop felt different. Maybe I was destined for this, which is why I returned”.
His love for sweets and the art of creating the exact taste that his father used to create made his jeri extra special and different from other sweet vendors around the area. Locals enjoy it in their breakfast as well, as its jeri is twice the size of normal jeris that are available in the market.
National visibility through social media
For about 80 years since its establishment, ‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal’ was only a local sensation. However, when social media started coming into daily use and people started scrolling short-form contents, ‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal’ started getting more and more visibility. Its story on video format, created by a famous social media blogger, has garnered over 500,000 views on all social media platforms, attracting more customers and drawing eyes from different media and publication channels.
A digital magazine V-Mag Nepal also featured it in their YouTube-based program, which contributed to a significant increase in its visibility. While most of the businesses get quick and mass attention but fail to meet the expectations later on, ‘Bhuttey ko Jeri Pasal was able to retain its customers through its lasting taste. When asked about this, Rajkumar expresses, “We gained massive attention in a short time. But retaining them is the most challenging task, and we are able to do so with our unique taste.”
Famous personalities such as musician Amrit Gurung and politician Rabindra Mishra have also posted long statuses on Facebook reliving their experience with the taste of Bhuttey’s jeri.
Increase in sales figures: The power of social media
One of its major sources of sales was social media—not through videos they created and uploaded themselves but those posted by its satisfied customers as a gesture of appreciation. This organic promotion increased its online presence and eventually boosted its earnings. The price of its jeri is Rs 50 per piece, which is higher than most of the usual sweet sellers. However, the generous size of its jeri –nearly twice the size of regular ones—makes it worth the price.
When enquired about sales, Rajkumar says, “We sell about 500 pieces of jeris a day. Even when the sales are low, we still manage to sell an average of 250 jeris.” They generate about Rs 600,000 in revenue from the sales of jeri and other sweets. Alongside financial success, they have also earned the trust of their customers. At a time when there are frequent news about the use of expired and leftover ingredients by many food brands in Pokhara, Rajkumar uses an open kitchen where he prepares fresh jeri only after receiving a customer order. A counter separates the cooking area from the seating area, allowing customers to watch as their jeri is made fresh right before their eyes.
Rajkumar and his son
Alish Chulyaju, the youngest son of Rajkumar Chulyaju, is currently pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Janapriya Multiple Campus, Pokhara. While many of his friends have migrated abroad in search of better opportunities, he has chosen to stay and help his dad grow their family business.
Alish was 11 years old when he was introduced to preparing Jeri. At first, he had little interest. But with persistent encouragement from his dad, he chose to join the family business. Over time, he started loving it. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, when many of his friends were uncertain of their future, Alish had no doubts. He was confident that he would help his dad grow their family business.
Currently, he balances his studies and works, attending college in the morning and helping his family throughout the afternoon. He is committed to staying in Nepal and continuing his entrepreneurial journey with ‘Bhuttey Ko Jeri Pasal’.
When asked about his thoughts on opportunities in Nepal and his decision to stay, he shared, “It depends on perspective. If someone is sure of what they are doing and commits their time, they can achieve anything whether it is in Nepal or anywhere else in the world”.
Niyesh is currently a student in business studies and an intern at the Farsight Impact. He holds strong interest in storytelling and crafting contents. All photos are captured by Niyesh for this story
