I suddenly realise I am really hungry when I walk into Shamala’s kitchen. She is cooking several dishes for our lunch today to show off her skills and discuss her options going forward. 
Shamala is a highly skilled senior teacher who due to ill health had to leave the teaching profession. But she and her husband are keen cooks and have always dreamed of starting their own food business.
Whilst off sick following a difficult time during her last job, Shamala came across the Inspiring Enterprise project and teamed up with Business Advisor Susan Reviere to develop her ideas and business plans.
Initially they explored having a catering van in the centre of Staines, selling street food to shoppers and passers-by. Whilst this was very popular on certain days, she felt that there was not enough passing trade to fund a business. She also recognised that next to setting up and running your own business you need another form of income to pick up the high and lows in the beginning.
Together with Susan she scaled back her business to preparing home-cooked meals for local people in Staines whilst working again part-time at a school. Many people met her whilst selling street food in Staines and the idea for delivered home-cooked food immediately caught on.
People order through her Facebook page the day before and the meals are delivered hot at the requested time. Since switching to this approach, orders have steadily increased through word of mouth and Social Media. With her regular income secured, she is now gradually building a customer base in South West London. It is a shame I don’t live nearer…
You can get hold of Shamala’s lovely home-cooked food menu when you follow her on Facebook: foodhype.co.uk
Shamala specialises also in gluten free and vegetarian dishes.