We chat to Catering Lekker Munchies’ owner Charlotte Bezuidenhout about her delicious meals.
What products do you make?
I make homemade meals, pies, platters, bunny chow, mac & cheese, meat dishes on mash. Actually, I make any home-made food. There’s nothing that I can’t make and it’s all tasty with only the freshest and best ingredients and a dash and a half of love. I have an extensive menu to choose from.
When and how did your business start? What was your inspiration?
The idea came to me about four months ago to start making home-cooked meals. I saw a gap in the market for tasty food served in decent portions that are still budget-friendly. I also felt that I should allow others to also enjoy some “lekker munchies”.
Are there any special recipes that you use?
I’ve never followed any recipes. I cook from the heart. I’m inspired by my late Italian grandmother who could cook up a storm and my late mother, who loved being in the kitchen cooking. This is how my slogan #JustLikeMammaMadeIt was created. I enjoy good, flavoured food and have a good pallet when combining different herbs and spices.
How many people do you work with?
I have two kitchen assistants that help with chopping and peeling and I prefer doing all the cooking myself. My sister, Lizelle du Plessis, assists me behind the scenes with marketing and designing. All my advertising is done by her.
What skills are important for this type of work?
You have to have a love for working with food. The more love you put into each dish, the greater the result. You also need to understand flavours and know which ones go together and which don’t. Dedication and being prepared to work long hours and having the stamina to push through are important. You must also work well under pressure.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy making food and inventing new pies, such as my boerie relish and bobotie pies. I have a few more up my sleeve that will be introduced soon. I also enjoy meeting new people. Seeing someone biting into one of my pies while walking away at markets and actually stopping to eat that pie and enjoying it so much that they turn around and come back for more every single time brings joy and gratitude like you won’t believe.
What is the biggest challenge that you have faced?
Deliveries. I would like to find someone with a small motorbike that could assist me because I have orders all over East London and I can’t be in the kitchen and making deliveries.
What are some of the biggest pros and cons?
You get to meet people from all walks of life. If you run the business successfully, you can grow and make a decent living. On the other hand, food products are costly, so is electricity and gas, and you have to deal with load-shedding and work around it.
What are your goals?
I would like to expand my business and get my pies into as many shops in East London as I can before next year.
What advice do you have for someone who is interested in a similar line of business?
If you can dream it, you can do it. Too many people are afraid of failure and don’t even try. Instead, they should try and give it a go. If you have the talent and the love for food and people, you’re already halfway there. It should not feel like a job.
How can our readers contact you?
Phone: 081-236-2994
Email: clm.orders334@gmail.com.
Facebook: Catering Lekker Munchies
