Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hassan Adenola, founder of Chef Hassan's Kitchen, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Chef Hassan's Kitchen is based in Toronto, Ontario, established in 2013. We specialize in African, West Indian, Caribbean, and European cuisines.
Services we provide are: Private Dining, Catering, Meal Prep.
We put effort into making our dishes nutritious and delicious … Ingredients used in our meals come from various high-end grocery stores known for preserving fruit, vegetables, and proteins. We take pride in providing all of our clients with their specific nutritional requests.
Tell us about yourself
Why I became a chef … I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Canada at the age of nine. Living in Toronto, I have experienced different cultures that have introduced me to various foods and spices from countries around the world. It has exposed me to different styles of dishes that can be made with some of the simplest ingredients yet taste so good. This inspired me to start cooking. At the age of 18, I started my own catering company specializing in African, West Indian, and European cuisines. Through my company, I have been able to continue catering, showcase my love for cooking on YouTube, and develop cooking programs for the youth in my community. My goal is to continue to provide fantastic food and service to everyone, so they experience food with the same passion I do.
I love the aspect of people coming together and experiencing love and joy with one another, and I find that food does this the best. With every dish I make, I pay close attention to the distinct tastes of different foods, each spice, the texture, and the plate’s overall presentation. I pay close attention to detail with these things to accurately express the joy and love I want to see on my clients’ faces with each bite they take.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Working with different articles in the city: TOME, Daniel Caesar, Mr. Eazi, Lola Bunz, Femi Lawson, AY Lawson, Lazz Universities York, U of T, Raptors: Kyle Lowry.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a business owner, one has to know the importance of organizing and planning ahead. I find that this is a hard thing as there are many components to it. In order to improve this, a business owner must make sure that they have a good team.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take it a step at a time. When starting a new business, you might find yourself feeling defective at times because it is not growing as fast as you wanted it. In these moments, I would advise them to take the time to reflect on what is working and what is not.
- Believe in yourself when others don't. Not everyone will see your vision, focus on what you need to do and find help and resources
- NETWORK-NETWORK-NETWORK
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.chefhassanskitchen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefhassantv/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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