Ihuoma Ohiorenoya: Quintessential cook, caterer

Ihuoma Ken Ohiorenoya is a graduate of English and Literature from the University of Benin. She is the chief executive officer of Cuisine Supreme, a business that caters for Nigerians who need good food and cakes.

Ihuoma started this business in November 2015 with no capital, which goes to validate the point often canvassed by Start-Up Digest that there are many businesses young Nigerians can start without capital.

She makes money today from mobilisation fees and from anyone who places an order.

Ihuoma sees herself as a ‘mompreneur’, meaning a mother who believes in diverse income streams and a wife who loves to make tasty meals for her husband and children.

“I love the art and business of food and I get fulfilment from satisfying the food cravings of those around me. I love to bake and decorate beautiful cakes and I consider myself a cake artist,” the entrepreneur tells Start-Up Digest.

Ihuoma was motivated to set up this firm by her love for good food. The entrepreneur says love for cooking and the encouragement she got from those who had seen her ‘cater’ for free in family and church functions were sources of encouragement.

She believes that food business is a multi -billion naira industry, big enough for every bird to fly.

“Every day, new ideas are coming up, creating more opportunities. More people rely on caterers like us to solve their cooked food problems: bowls of food for the week, dinner setting for two, breakfast in bed, luncheons among friends and colleagues, and big events. Every occasion is special.

“And these days, some people even take their ‘Naija’ caterers to Owambe overseas. So the world is our playground,” she says, confidently.

Ihuoma has just relocated to Lekki and is trying to break into the market in the high-brow area.

“Getting to meet with those who need and will appreciate our business is the current challenge, but by the time people begin to try us, they will definitely become repeat customers. So it is a temporary challenge,” she explains.

Ihuoma says that every day, she wakes up with the aim of making God proud.

“Most of our clients are in Lagos mostly. We also have a lot of customers in most of the banks in Sagamu, where we manned the lunchroom of banks like GTB, and catered to more than 60 percent of Diamond bank staff, before we relocated to Lekki and they still reach out to us to cater for them,” she further says.

The young entrepreneur points out that the only thing she regrets about catering is not working in a professional food company or restaurant environment and not training professionally as a chef before starting her business.

“I had to teach myself on the job,” she discloses.

“But I still plan to make the professional training happen soonest. I want to be a real chef,” she adds.

Like many entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Ihuoma is in dire need of funds for expansion.

“I will need about N30 million to really expand. I will use the money to set up a comfortable lounge for the food business; buy more equipment like better mixers, larger food processors, exquisite dining sets; set up power backup and alternative power supply; do advertising and total rebranding. I will also hire more hands,” she states.

Ihuoma will advise her younger yourself to find a passion very early and direct all her focus and training on that passion.

ODINAKA ANUDU