Catering is not for the lazy

Adebayo Omobolanle Abigail, the Chief Executive Officer of Diadem Kitchen, is a caterer who sees the assignment as a calling and not just a source of income. In this interview with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, she speaks about the importance of catering in making an event a success, life as a female in a busy world and other issues.

How would you describe the catering profession?

I am a caterer and chef by profession; I graduated from Ripples Catering Academy. I am happily married and blessed with four children and as a caterer; I can boldly tell you that caterers play a major role in the success or failure of a party. This is because a celebration would be incomplete without great food and drinks. Also, snacks should be available at all times, even for those guests who are late.

Caterers are responsible for cooking and serving meals at events. Their typical duties include: preparing and storing food, safety of food before and during events, setting up tables and food service areas with chairs, linens and dishes with good and reliable workers. This should tell you that we are the backbone of events.

How capital intensive is it to set up a catering business?

Catering is an expensive venture but the beauty of the profession is that few people start out big. When you first start a catering business, it won’t cost you much but as you keep growing and developing, it will cost you more because you must start buying more kitchen equipments and also to pay your workers. There is a stage you get to that you can’t start running around to borrow equipment every time you get orders, that won’t work.

Is it really a woman’s job?

Catering is not a job for women alone, it is a career path for both men and women but the truth is that it is a job more suitable for women because women are more knowledgeable and have more experience when it comes to cooking and managing cooking events.

Has the current economic situation affected catering business?

Of course, like every other entrepreneur, caterers are going through a lot presently. The cost of items is rising daily; which means that often, after you give quotation, you find out that the money you collect can’t buy all that you need. The inflation in the prices of ingredients is affecting the catering business adversely.

How easy is it to run a catering firm especially when you have little children?

It is not easy to run a catering business when you have small children; it is quite tasking because you may have to be on the move and away from home. It is challenging to run a catering business with children especially from the age seven downwards but when you have good assistants and good workers, it will make your job easier.

What are the challenges you face?

There are many challenges to catering but there is no profession without challenges or occupational hazards. When you talk of accidents while cooking, challenge in getting good produce, workers that want to play smart especially  when you have large orders which can be very stressful if you don’t have good and reliable workers and enough cooking equipments because your services may not be delivered on time and so many.

Also, you are responsible for the mistake of everyone on your team and client satisfaction. You must know more about food than running a catering business because as the head, you need to handle the challenges of making big decisions too. They need the financial skill to pick competitive prices, negotiable deals and balance the budget as well as knowing how to market and advertise the business may be part of the challenges if you don’t stay grounded and update your skills.

Lastly, I would like to say that you may receive some insults from clients especially when you deliver your services late but take it as a encouragement to try better next time.

Many people have some negative ideas about caterers, are these negative views justified?

I know that some people have negative ideas about caterers and it is actually justifiable. For instance, a caterer can be unfaithful in such a way that some caterers when given order of 500 guests will produce 450 instead. Some bad eggs are the reason people don’t trust caterers.

What are your thoughts on women having streams of income?

Honestly, women having streams of incomes can be very tiring sometimes especially when you have little kids at home but if you know that you are capable then go for it. Let me however add that in this age and time, survival may depend on the number of avenues you get income from

Can women be good leaders?

Women can be good leaders because they have what it takes. We only need to channel our inner strength and move beyond seeing the challenges and excuses.

Advice to young caterers?

Catering is not for the weak or lazy but when you have passion for it you will succeed. As a caterer, invest in yourself; know how to make good food and plan menu, pay attention to safety protocols, have excellent customer service, learn to manage your emotions when facing  unexpected challenges, be creative and learn time management.

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