10/05/2021
\\ "Last year, my dad visited some place and came back with an idea of started something with sprouts. Though people love food in kolkata here, we were skeptical if anyone would specifically order for a salad. My mom went through online classes and started exploring recipes. The process and food became so therapeutic that we decided to give this a shot. Soon after, I officially became a business partner with her and started our own venture - 'Salad Feast'.
It was a tough market with competition and complications honestly. It got difficult to cover our costs and with limited funds, we had to make do with 'word of mouth' marketing only. Slowly the word spread and we started getting orders. After every criticism, she would come and say ~ 'Arey ye zyda zaruri hai. Koi galti nahi bataega, to hum seekhege kaise'. We started putting out our stalls in festivals and in one, we had this whooping sale of 400 orders. One group came and said that in a world of junk, our food felt like a hug from home. We felt everything was in our bag now, but on the very next, we couldn't recover 5% of what we had invested. But she has always held her feet to the fire. Giving up was never her choice.
She focuses on cooking, experimenting and taking home orders. I do graphic designing alongside. Though we are just opposites, food has brought us close. My family has spend sleepless nights in kitchen, preparing and packaging food together. With covid writing on the wall for us now, she teaches me to be patient and how good things take time. On days when we go without a single order, talk to her and she will say ~ 'beta kolkata ka number 1 business ek din mein thoda banega. Thoda waqt do. Sirf mitti ke kile hi ek din mein taiyaar hote hain'
Ask from her customers and they would tell you that she is the kindest person. Food provides her a level of personal gratification incomparable to any other pursuit. In her 50's, she found her calling and I am proud she had the courage to go after it. Maybe when you find your peace and passion, there's no struggle. Before being my mom, she is a chef and a homemaker turned entrepreneur today"
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