How our biz rescues homes, by Abuja soup-makers

You are a graduate, with first class honours in Economics. Why did you decide to venture into a culinary business?Omolola Akinniyi: My sister has always loved cooking, so we were having a discussion one day and concluded that though there are a good number of eateries around, there still is a vacuum that needed to […]

You are a graduate, with first class honours in Economics. Why did you decide to venture into a culinary business?
Omolola Akinniyi: My sister has always loved cooking, so we were having a discussion one day and concluded that though there are a good number of eateries around, there still is a vacuum that needed to be filled. She handles majority of the cooking while I manage the finances and marketing aspect of the business. It was a good start for us to start cooking rather than looking for white collar jobs. Cooking is a hobby and is a great part of our lives. That was how we decided to use our skills to empower ourselves rather than wait or sit idly waiting for the ‘perfect job’ to come by.
What year did you start your culinary career and what inspired you to pursue cooking professionally?
I have always loved cooking and have been doing so for a very long time. Cooking as a career started late 2012 and has been on ever since. I saw the need for my products and chose to pursue fulfilling the need.
Did you receive formal training before becoming a professional?
My mom is a great cook, so if the training I got from her over the years counts for ‘formal training’, then the answer is yes. I have personally trained myself through various means and keep getting better.
How much capital did you use to start the business?
There was no basic capital per se. We started with what we had in our kitchen and have been building up our business ever since. There is no fixed number of soups we make per day. We cook between seven to ten bowls of soup, though it really depends on the orders we have at any given time, because we ensure we deliver freshly-made soups.
Our mum has been very supportive, rendering as much help as she can despite the long distance between us. Most people always thought and asked why as graduates we would opt for such a business. But we always tell them there is no business like that of food, especially soups. Not everyone knows how to cook some soups or even if you know, there is no time to cook them. So you can say we came to the rescue.
How is the response so far since you started your business?
It has been great and a bit surprising, because when we wanted to start a good number of people thought that it would be a ‘bachelors’ thing. Such notions have been negated because our customer base consists of people from all walks of life and yes, a whole lot of married men and women.
How many hours do you spend cooking on your busiest days?
I’ve once had to spend fifteen hours. On days when we had really big orders from a lot of people we spend more than that.
Who are your biggest customers, men or women?
There’s really no straight line to be drawn with that. We’ve had huge interest from both genders. You might think the men are the biggest customers but we also have ladies who are our big customers.
Was it your desire to become a chef professionally?
I’ve always believed in doing what I love. Cooking tops the list of stuff I love doing, so the answer to that is yes.
What is your favourite food-related memory?
That would be ‘soaking’ indomie in water because it was ‘contraband’ to cook in my boarding school. The funny thing is ‘noodles’ itself was really wrong. But as professional cooks we have all the experience now and can look back and say ‘yes, we have come a long way’ in our cooking career.
When we were younger, the very first time we had to cook rice, we actually measured the uncooked rice according to the quantity each person could exhaust not knowing rice actually ‘swells up’. That meant we cooked nine cups of rice for three people because each of us felt we could finish three cups in its raw form and it would be the same quantity in its cooked form. Like that wasn’t enough, our stew consisted of ‘water, salt and dry pepper’. It was a total disaster and our mom ensured we finished all of it irrespective of how long it took.
What food is your favourite to cook?
I really enjoy cooking Egusi. White Soup also fascinates me; the idea of putting pounded yam in a soup is just amazing. We have a lot of orders for our Egusi soups.
What do you think is the most challenging ingredient to work with?
Salt is a very delicate ingredient. It can make or mar your soup. As professional cooks, one has to be careful when working with it.
What do you love most about your job?
The smile on people’s faces when they receive their orders and our customers’ feedback which makes us love the job more. We love cooking as a hobby and when you know your hobby makes people smile you love the job the more.
How do you deal with the stress of cooking?
I rest as much as possible. I also try to let out steam as I deem fit, depending on my mood. Swimming and watching TV are some of what’s on that list.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
We see ‘Just Soups’ becoming a franchise and a household name, with branches in at least twenty states in Nigeria and also outside the country. We do have very big dreams. It is one food industry everyone will want to be identified with.