When Mandira Sarkar moved to the UK 22 years ago, she missed her cook more than she missed her parents, not really knowing how to cook. Today, she’s the founder of Mandira’s Kitchen. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Mandira spilled the beans about her journey to entrepreneurship, Asian cuisines and being a woman in the hospitality industry.
Q - How did you come up with the idea of launching Mandira's Kitchen
I learned to cook the hard way through recipes from family and friends and constantly complained about the lack of proper homestyle Indian food until a friend asked me to " put my money where my mouth was". With a sudden end to a project I was working on, I decided to follow my heart and do something my parents would disapprove of as no educated Indian woman leaves her career in her forties to set up a food business!!
Q - How supportive was your family about your venture?
My husband has always been very supportive. My parents initially were not so sure - coming from corporate backgrounds, leaving a secure career was rather alien to them. However, they did eventually come around.
Q - Since the Asian culture is so diverse, how did you zero down on the cuisines from thousands of choices?
We do not churn out a "curry" from our kitchen because it sounds or looks Indian. Every dish we create has a personal history or connection - so our vegan Jackfruit - Enchorer Dalna is based on my grandmother's recipe, our best selling Kaju Dhania Chicken is something my mother always made for us, the Keema ( mince curry) is based on the recipe our old cook Sukumar made for us in Delhi and so on. Our Goan Xacuti is Sabina, our chef's family recipe. I could carry on for each of the dishes but you get the idea ... we not not make Chicken Tikka Masala in our kitchen!
Q- What are the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur in the hospitality industry?
The hospitality industry is by its very nature one that needs you to work unsocial hours - most people would like events over weekends or evening when women traditionally spend time with their children and families, So to be able to thrive in this sector, there is a constant juggling act - the need to be very organised as well as to have a supporting team and family. It says you need a village to bring up a child and for anyone running a hospitality business, this is ten times more apt.
Q - How did the pandemic impact you? Did you face any shortage of staff or logistic issues?
The pandemic led to a complete halt in our events business but our online freezer meal business saw a huge surge in growth as more and more people wanted something healthy and delicious that they could eat or offer their families. Added to this, the initial lockdown days saw big shortages of essential products such as rice and sugar. We were lucky because of the fact that we are a small team, we could adapt to the changing situation and some of us worked 16-hour shifts to keep the business moving.
Q - Is there any way in which the government can help business persons like you?
Government help is often rather skewed towards the "sexy" businesses like tech or businesses looking to work internationally. For small businesses that create products or are based in the "wrong" area, there is not much support forthcoming and a lot can be done to help these businesses through small grants and support.
