What unites veteran Bollywood actress Mumtaz, Jim Sarbh and Boman Irani? A love for Mumbai’s Parsi Dairy Farm.

Pic source: Twitter: Mumtaz

Located off  Mumbai’s Princess Street, the legendary business boasts a century-old charm and recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

For 108 years now, Parsi Dairy Farm has continued to see an unwavering customer base and is now managed by the fourth generation of the family — Sarfaraz Irani, Parvana Mistry, Zeenia and Bakhtyar Irani.

The story of its roots traces back to when 16-year-old Nariman Ardeshir began delivering milk cans to homes around Kalbadevi (an old neighbourhood in  Mumbai).

The siblings share how to make ends meet, the young Ardeshir started selling pens, pencils, books, and stationery outside the school. When World War I broke out, his lemonade was an instant hit among the soldiers. And that’s how he became a popular lad in the area.

But Ardeshir’s first tryst with business came when shopkeepers in Kalbadevi began requesting him to sit at their cash counters while they went for lunch. “There were no CCTVs back then; they needed a trusted person to count the cash,” explains Bakhtyar.

Soon, in 1916, Ardeshir began delivering milk cans to households in the area. He had only one principle in mind: just sell the purest form of milk.

And it became a hit from day one. The burgeoning demand for milk led to Ardeshir buying stables and the rest is history, say the siblings.

The old machinery, the ancient horse carts and carriages, a Gerber that was once used to test milk, an old weighing scale and Ardeshir’s chair and table have still been preserved.

While the family prides themselves on their legacy, they mention their mothers who were founding pillars of it.

“They took the reins at a time when it wasn’t common for women to work. Our fathers also were extremely supportive of them doing this; encouraging them and helping them in whatever way that was possible,” emphasises Zeenia.

It seems fair to say that the Parsi Dairy Farm has been winning the hearts and palates of the city’s residents for over a century.

And the love for this legendary business seems to only grow in leaps and bounds with every passing day — a testament to the legacy that Ardeshir wanted to leave behind.