FROM LONDON TO SANTA CRUZ Nescia Marques and the Rise of Goa's European Dessert Queen

In the heart of Santa Cruz, where palm-lined bylanes blend into old Goan charm, a quiet revolution is baking, quite literally.

- By Rajesh Ghadge

Behind the pastel walls and tempting aroma of European confections lies the journey of Nescia Marques, a selfmade entrepreneur who defied distance, tradition, and uncertainty to pursue a dream born out of love, sacrifice, and sheer grit.

Born in the serene village of Serida in Goa, Nescia moved to London at the age of 11. "My family settled in the UK, and I completed most of my education and early life there," she shares. Her formal education wasn't in culinary arts, but in fashion design, a field she pursued because of her deeprooted creative flair. "I've always been hands-on, visual, and passionate about aesthetics," Nescia reflects. "Fashion design allowed me to express that side of myself."

Yet, her true passion was discovered later. After marrying young and becoming a mother at 20, Nescia Marques chose family over career. "My husband had a good job, and I didn't want him to compromise on his path. So I decided to step back, raise our daughter, and figure out my own way," she explains.

It was during this period of selfdiscovery that baking entered her life, not through a classroom, but via YouTube. "I'd watch tutorials, absorb techniques visually, and then replicate them," she says.