In the time of this pandemic across the world, while staying at home people are exploring their hidden talent. We came across people practicing and experimenting new recipes and culinary activities at home.
Now, chefs or non-chefs are trying out new recipes and posting their new creation on social media handles. Home chefs are proving that they can create food much better and even healthier at home than in restaurants. They are whipping up their own version of recipes. The ongoing lockdown has forced many of chefs to alter the way they go about their daily routine. But above all, there are certain drawbacks of being a Home Chef which are faced at home while cooking. So, let's talk about some basic challenges faced by them.
CASE STUDY OF GURGAON
Let’s start with a case study of Gurgaon, the most happening suburb of the national Capital. Some startups that were networked with home chefs to deliver food to customers who ordered through apps or websites are being wrapped up. Cyberchef, the most recent to shut, had an ugly closure with several home chefs this correspondent spoke to as well as the vendors working with the company alleging it hadn't cleared their payments. Simran Bagga, who worked as a home chef with the startup said, "I worked with Cyberchef for around eight months and payments were always late. I kept writing to them and then they suddenly suspended operations."
Cyberchef was founded by Neha Puri. Mails sent by this correspondent to Puri's professional and personal mail IDs remained unanswered. Puri has, however, reached out to home chefs and partners through social media.
Well every profession has challenges but you have to be bold enough to face those. There will be challenges that one might come across in the workplace which is totally normal and can even be something that drives you ahead in your career, towards greater success. Passion is a true love, an enjoyment and fulfillment you find in cooking new recipes so don’t let that ruin away.
The Challenges
A) NOT ENOUGH KITCHEN TOOLS TO COOK AT HOME
Home chefs or Home bakers at beginners' level are not well equipped with tools to prepare their culinary masterpiece. Some of them are even unaware of the tools used in cooking and baking.
B) NOT ENOUGH FUNDS TO START
Many ingredients, tools and machines are way too expensive for some middle-class home chefs to afford. Therefore, it becomes another challenge for them to cook something pleasing and attractive without any economic support.
D) NEED OF PROFESSIONALISM
Lets, take an example, Kishi Arora of Foodaholics has always had a passion for food and is a pastry chef by profession. She worked with four seasons in California and came back to India where she gave birth to foodaholics. She ensured that her home based business could run professionally. She adds, "I've seen a lot of home bakers; they do not pay attention to detail. For me, that is important.”
D) RIGHTFULL SKILL
Home bakery has nothing to do with how many home bakers are coming in. it’s got to do with what they’re making, how they’re making it. Anyone can bake a cake. Innovation is required. Bring your own personal flair. Their design, ingredients used and expertise of the baker differ from each other.
E) COMPARING RATES AT MARKET LEVEL
One of the key goal of a home chef is to build something unique and special which could differ from market edibles Most people are used to the standard tastes. But home chefs always have something different to offer. Also, price factor, people wanted to pay the usual market rate and not their rate. As a matter of fact what chefs cook in market and what home chefs cook at home are different.
F) DELIVERING FOOD ITEMS
Being a home baker can be a cumbersome task as they have no helpers and has to do everything by themselves. However, the satisfaction they get out of doing makes it worthwhile. The major challenge they faced in running a home-based business as a baker was delivery.
It was this delivery aspect which caused the wrapping up of CyberChef and other such startups in Gurgaon.