10 Jun 2018

 Passion is one essence that adds value to a business as it keeps and moulds one to carry on despite the challenges.

That is the spirit 39-year-old Ms Mems Moreti of Gumare, who has passion for food, nurtured when she started her culinary business.

Her history in the culinary business is nothing but that of sheer fate intermingled with optimism.

In interview with BOPA recently, the shrewd business woman proclaimed that she started her catering business in 2015, but learnt the basics of cooking while she was 10 years old.

“Basically, my business started out small. I used to sell fat cakes and beef stew in the comfort of my home. All of a sudden, an idea struck that I could grow this small enterprise into a sound business and indeed with faith, all things were possible so I followed my heart,” she said.

Ms Moreti with a couple of other women formed a society, where they contributed money and gave an individual a share every month.

Enthusiastically, she used her share to buy chaffing dishes and other crockery for her soon-to-be business and chose the Rural Administration Centre in Gumare, as a base to sell her food.

Ms Moreti’s first attempt to sell her food was nothing but a success. She served a dish of samp with beans, chicken stew and pounded beef and the customers wiped their plates clean.

This indeed buoyed Ms Moreti’s business. She planned her menu looking at her clientele and their individual needs, hence she decided to make creamed samp, samp and beans, beef, rice, dumplings, pap, greens and a variety of salads and her menu was and still is a hit.

Soul Food (company name)simply means a meal that warms the heart and many people relate with her menu because they grew up eating this type of meals in their homes. With a little bit of a modern twist, Ms Moreti keeps up with the times and marinates and garnishes her food with the right herbs and spices.

“I make sure that my cooking is the best among the rest. I serve my customers with freshly cooked food and I soak my meat and chicken in a homemade marinate, which is simply delicious. My customers always rave about this particular sauce,” she said.

Ms Moreti explained that like any other catering business, clients have their favourite dishes and in her case, her customers love creamed samp and grilled chicken. Ms Moreti also highlighted that she is particular when spicing her grilled chicken. It is neither too sweet nor too salty.

For feedback purposes, she said it was important for a business person to take notes and heed customers’ needs and one should avoid over-doing a particular meal.

Like any other business, she said there were hurdles such as lack of transport, as it was expensive to hire a cab on a daily basis to drop her food and pick her up during week days.

She lamented that the ‘fee that she pays monthly for transport hits her hard.  She told BOPA that she wakes up as early as seven o’clock to cook and prepare for the day.

Her dream is to see her business growing in leaps and bounds. Therefore she has applied for Poverty Eradication Programme to upgrade her business and she is hopeful that she will soon be funded.

Ms Moreti advised aspiring entrepreneurs that persistence, passion and determination were key in staying consistent in business.
“Doing research and finding out the likes and dislikes of one’s target market is equally important.

Exercising faith and putting it into action can also take one very far,” she said.  ENDS