The Arithmetics Involved in Cooking with Olayinka Adeoluwadotun

Yinka is a Caterer who studied sociology in the university and she says that cooking has some form of calculation that allows the recipes to come out a certain way. To prepare a meal you should first know the ingredients needed to create that meal, how much it costs so you can create a budget and where you can get those ingredients from.

She reveals that bargaining will be way easier when the ingredient you want to purchase is in season. It will be much cheaper and be more in quantity. She says in a situation where the ingredient you want to buy is too expensive, you could find an alternative and combine them to form a better product. She says that when budgeting for an event and the product is very expensive, the provision would have already been made for that situation.

Yinka says as a caterer you should have a standard price so when a client wants to order your services, you’ll let them let is their budget is below your standard. If they cannot afford your standard then you let them go. Your profits come in when you can manage the budget properly and still deliver quality dishes.

There is a perception that caterers horde the food at events when people are not getting any and Yinka replies that most times the host would have requested them to set some food aside for some special guests who have not arrived at the event.

She says caterers are usually hired on referral, someone who was pleased with the service delivered would suggest the caterer to someone that needs such services. If you still feel skeptical about their abilities, you could request a taste session, there you try out the food prepared by the caterer. She advises when upscaling a meal you usually prepare a small amount, make use of proper measurement so you retain the taste and integrity of the dish and over time, when you do it regularly, you perfect the recipe.

Yinka also reveals that management is a very important skill that a caterer or chef needs for their business to succeed and in a case where the chef cannot juggle both duties, they can hire a management professional. You could also consult women who have more catering experience than you for advice. She says persistence is equally important, always try to come up with new recipes and dishes. The more you keep practicing your trade the easier it becomes for you, you gain more experience and become way better at what you do.

On the other hand, a major challenge that caterers face is trying to get their clients to trust them to deliver on time or even deliver quality products.

Concluding, she says that catering as a line of work is not a bed of roses and passion is one of the things that will keep you going as the market is very competitive, therefore stay consistent, do not compare yourself to others and be prayerful