By: Lerato Moteane
Lesego Mohlala 26-year-old is a self-taught cook from Spruitview. Being in the kitchen gives her joy and she has a genuine love for food. Lesego runs a catering business and caters from corporate events to birthday parties. She realised her cooking passion back in the year 2017, though it was all a hobby by then. she never thought that she would one day turn it into a business.
It all started from trying out online recipes; little did she know that things would have a good turnout. “I used to watch cooking shows, go to the internet and try out recipes and I would also cook when with my mom since she’s also a great cook, so I think I drew inspiration from her, which has led me to become a chef right now,” said Lesego.
A business is nothing without its customers, so building a successful customer base is one of the lucrative functions in the business industry. Lesego tells us that they’ve been lucky so far, most of their customers have been loyal to them, and they are often recommended to prospective customers. “The main thing is building relationships with our customers, at the moment our biggest drive has been social media and word of mouth,” she said. Giving good service, good quality food and listening to customers’ concerns is their top priority.
Her highlight since she stepped into the industry was when she won R10 000 in a competition. “If it went as far as winning a competition, it just proves that I’m good at what I do and my work speaks for itself. I didn’t even expect to win so it came as a surprise to me, I was in absolute disbelief,” says Lesego.
When preparing to cater for big events, she has two employees working for her and they oversee things even when she’s not around. Lesego says, “ I would be me without those two. I don’t even take them as my employees, I regard them as family, they are always with me in times of need.”
When Lesego is not in the kitchen making her magic, she’s a mother to a 3-year-old son whom he adores very much. “My son means so much to me and he’s the reason why I keep on going. I want nothing but the best for him, so that he can have a better future,” she says.
Even though she is a self-taught cook, she understands the ins and outs of creating mouth-watering meals while also being a businesswoman. Lesego has plans of expanding her business so that it becomes better in future. She’s cooking up special things for 2020 and people should watch the space.
Comments