USING TIME WISELY TO EXPAND HER BUSINESS
JESSICA FARRY TALKS TO EILEEN KIRRANE ABOUT HOW SHE HAS USED HER TIME WISELY TO GROW HER BUSINESS.
When Covid-19 hit over a year ago, Eileen Kirrane’s work model changed almost overnight, at least it had to for the time being.
Eileen, a home caterer, cookery tutor and cookbook author from Cloonacool, had to make changes to her business almost immediately in order to keep herself on her toes.
And event though events, parties, and physical classes have been almost all ruled out for the duration of the last 12 months, Eileen used the time wisely.
This was an ideal time for her to diversify and look at other options for her business, which she had been hoping to do for some time.
Eileen started running Facebook Live free cookery classes for all the families stuck at home. The aim was to provide quick and easy nutritional recipes for families on a budget.
These sessions became a lifeline for people secluded from their families and gives them a purpose to their days.
Eileen also compiled and self-published Cooking while Cocooning eBooks containing some of her most popular recipes.
“I love new challenges, and I’m always thinking of doing different things but sometimes I do not have the time,” Eileen told The Sligo Champion.
“I learned how to do eBooks, I loved doing that and I’ve been on about doing that for a while. I have the videos of the pre-recorded classes, that was fun. I was as busy as ever just in a totally different way.”
There was also a huge uptake in sales of her Just Look and Cook Books for beginner cooks, children and people with additional needs.
She attributes this to the huge uptake of interest in cooking and baking from home and the need for simple, no nonsense recipes, using basic ingredients and basic equipment.
Every Friday afternoon, she hosts a live class on her Facebook page for people to watch and cook with her.
Previously a Special Needs Assistant, Eileen brought out her first cookery book in 2013, unaware of where it would lead her to today.
“As part of my market research I chose Sligo Autism because I knew that they would go by the letter, if I said to put in 15 spoons instead of one by a typing error they would put in the 15 spoons.
“They were a great audience. As soon as I started doing that I went to them and the ETB. Both of them said to me ‘yes we’d recommend you go ahead with the book but also would you come and do cookery classes for us’ and I’ve been doing it since.
Her first book was planned as a cook book for people with additional needs, but when Eileen explained her plans to people in the ETB, she was encouraged to also aim the cook book at novice chefs who are just starting out.
The cookery classes with MSLETB are now all online, but Eileen also realised that there are a lot of people who would not have the ability to work online, or were unable, due to Covid to attend
workshops or onsite cookery classes.
Using her prior experience in working with children and people with additional needs she created some professional pre-recorded courses, based on her cook books. The classes can be followed with assistance from family or carers online in the users own home.
Due to popular demand Eileen has now added intimate weddings to her range of catering events. Couples looking for an alternative wedding contacted Eileen, and, to date, Eileen has catered for 3 weddings and has more booked in in the coming months.
Her days in normal times vary from running classes at Cregg House in the morning to meeting ICA groups, men’s sheds and even GAA clubs in the evening.
At the weekends, Eileen attends the Achonry Farmers’ Market.
Another online course Eileen facilitated was with Eastern Harps GAA Club where parents and children cook/bake together on a Saturday
morning.
This became a real family affair and allows everyone to meet in a fun environment while learning a few new skills.
Indeed, such was its success that the club and Eileen were featured on RTE Six one.
With Sligo County Council, she facilitated the Feel Well programme for over 60s.
The personal approach offered by Eileen is a big help and is one of the reasons her classes are so popular with people.
She is always on hand to help bakers out whenever they may have a question or two.
“I get so many messages and queries, ‘I don’t have plain flour, can I use self-raising?’ or ‘I’m in the middle of baking I have to contact Eileen’. I love that I’m that approachable.”
She is now undertaking a gluten free diet for the next few weeks and will be incorporating this into her cook-alongs for the forseeable.
Eileen, with her husband JP self -converted a garage, in summer 2020, to create a spacious working kitchen separate from the family home. She hopes to put this to good use when her many football and hurling teams resume their training and she has the pleasure of providing food for them after their training and matches.
“It’s brilliant. We did it ourselves. It’ ll be brilliant because net week we’re going back with our hurlers and footballers, it’s the first time we’ ll have that. Before that I was cooking in the kitchen, the space is brilliant.
“I intend to run cookery courses from the kitchen as well, and I have a preliminary booking already for that.
“It’ ll be nice for people to come, sometimes it’s nice for people to get out.
“As part of the fees I always make sure that there’s enough ingredients bought so that everyone gets a bit, so we can all sit down and have a cup of tea and taste.”
For more information about Eileen’s Kitchen Table, check out the website on eileenskitchentable.ie.