Foodie Colombo
launched her tiny home business in 2012 on a very small scale having quit her career in the corporate world to be the primary caregiver for her kids. Considering herself to be a total foodie and a lover of all kinds of food, Nilomi introduced her home baking business ‘Foodie Colombo’ offering sweet and savoury delights.
1 .I offer both savouries and sweets. Cakes, Cupcakes, Brownies, Fingerfood, Drinks, Lasagnes, Pastas, Roasts, Bakes, Sides and Sinhala Kevili to name a few. My best sellers are of course my Brownies which are a family favourite and my cakes. However, my Roasts are quite popular too.
2 I was in operation before lockdown. I had just signed up with Ubereats and Pickme Foods in Jan - Feb so it was just recording a good offtake when everything shut down. In fact, I was shocked at the level of demand on the day in which island-wide curfew was declared. I of course, shutdown my operations during curfew because I knew the implications of the Corona Virus in January itself and wanted to take all measures before getting back into my usual business!
3 I didn’t operate at all till May 17th when curfew was lifted for limited time. I particularly felt bad during the Avurudu days in which my clients were frantically calling me for a few Kevili but I had no access to good treacle and other ingredients so I didn’t want to offer sub-par products.
4 Since I commenced work only on 17th May, the worst was behind, but sourcing my ingredients was difficult. I still find sourcing imported items so difficult. Fortunately, I met a few good suppliers on Social Media which helped quite a bit. Working with a mask is difficult in the kitchen especially on a humid day but I know it’s a necessary factor.
5 I am well stocked in hand sanitiser, hand wash and rubbing alcohol to name a few. Everything has to be kept clean and sanitary as I already have 2 kids in the house. I clean up before and after each order. I also wear a mask at all times too. I personally handle the order myself so staff contact is limited. I also know my staff are equally obsessed with personal hygiene and personal protection (use of gloves/masks) as they have children in their homes too so I know they take every precaution.
6 My catering operation is small and I haven’t pushed it to the next level as I consider my kids my first priority. If I really wanted to work long hours, I would never have quit my corporate job, hence I never got around to opening a cafe. However, Ubereats and Pickme Foods have definitely changed the nature of the food business in Colombo and catering to demand through this new delivery method has been exciting. I also enjoy the flexibility being a home baker offers, especially now as my kids are home schooling and knowing I can shut down at any time. 7 I do feel people have less purchasing power as a lot of people have been laid off or salaries have been halved so people are more careful with their expenses. However, I have got a few loyal clients, who trust my homemade wholesome fresh food and have ordered off me and I really appreciate their support in these times. I also try to offer cost effective options whenever a client gets in touch without compromising on my quality. For example, I always make my cakes, desserts with butter. I would not switch over to margarine due to changes in the economic situation 8 I think now may not be the best time to kick start a cafe or pastry business. But Homebakers, provided they offer quality food for good value, have a chance of thriving and succeeding.
9 Start Small. Take Baby Steps. Don’t do major Capital Investment. Don’t slow down or halt your dreams just because of COVID. This too will pass. Hopefully, 2021 will be a better year!!
*Orders can be placed via Instagram or Facebook (@foodiecolombo) and on Ubereats or Pickme Foods.