For best friends Piyum and Yeheli, the initial lockdown sparked a business idea for a passion they both shared. The Kitchenette, providing custom-order savoury and sweet cuisine, was a quarantine project that grew over the months. “The Kitchenette is based on the fact that we are a small home-based start-up, as a kitchenette is smaller and more intimate than a regular kitchen.”
Passionate about baking from a very young age, Aathikah Emseen Shazran started Sugar Spot as a business in 2016. “I have been greatly inspired by the women in my family. I started making cakes in my teens for birthdays, for my family. Years later it started off as a business when I made an entire dessert table for a friend’s wedding and that’s where my journey began as a home-baker.”
Butlers Pub is right next to Park Street Mews and it brings you a new experience in dining with their picturesque walls and beautiful lighting; you truly do get transformed into another world. It can accommodate up to 50 people, but they do not currently operate at full capacity due to the current situation of the country.
Having always found comfort in baking, Ceylon Muffins by Jaish Parathalingam Jayesingha was a lockdown project that came to life. “I wanted to do something unique as most homemakers are focused on cakes, cupcakes and the like. My speciality is muffins, which is why I decided to name my venture Ceylon Muffins!”.
This week on WTF, we feature the hospitality queen Yasmin Cader who has opened something blue, cute and yummy “Yasmin’s” Cafe. They scoop out Carino, Coffee, and Cake with lots of love sprinkled with laughter. Yasmin’s -the ‘coolest’ new addition to Sri Lanka’s dessert scene-officially opened its doors on 7 December 2020, introducing sweet fans to a brand-new creamery concept from its prime location in Madiwela, Kotte.
How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, Big Bird Delights’ Jovanka takes our Q&A! Home catering business Big Bird Delights has, true to its name, been delighting its customers since 2017. While having pursued a career in banking initially, her passion for cooking saw her going into business full time as a home-based cook.
To most people, a menu is a list of dishes one orders from, which could always change. To Galle Fort Muslims a menu refers to an exact, immaculate combination of dishes that defy alteration. If any single characteristic makes their food uncommon, exclusive, unique even, if it’s possible to speak of a ramparted Galle Fort Muslim cuisine, these combinations, the handiwork of generations of women in the kitchen, play the starring role.
It’s December! You know what that means, it’s a month full of big meals and festivities. I found the perfect spot too! This time around I decided to try something a little different and stay at home and order in. Who or what says you can’t throw a little bit of fancy in there too? I recently got wind of Cafe Maitland, a delivery service by Mount Lavinia Hotel, offering a wide variety of what the hotel has to offer in the comfort of your own home
Operating across the Eastern Province, Abdul Careem Shafna started her home business with a passion for baking. “After giving much thought to the future, my husband and I came up with Shafna’s Yummy Kitchen. The word kitchen was brought in with the futuristic view of expanding the business from cake baking to other items such as cookies, puddings, Snow balls, and so on!”.
Yasmin’s by Yasmin Cader opened last Saturday, on the 5th of December, 2020 and it is situated in Madiwela, on the top floor of Master Pieces by Sheriff. Opening a café has always been a dream of hers and contrary to what one may think, everything happened in the spur of the moment, to lead the creation of this café.
Welcoming the season, Shangri-La Colombo is geared up for a festive and safe celebration this Christmas inviting guests to create memories with close family and friends in a small and intimate manner. While guests are spoilt for choice with the array of celebrations available at every restaurant in the hotel, one of our favourite offerings this year is their Festive Afternoon Tea at the Sapphyr Lounge.
In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during the quarantine.
I found myself wandering about the Taj Samudra Hotel last Saturday in search of The Golden Dragon, having never been, and couldn’t help but notice how well-spirited the hotel staff were, despite having to work during times like these. I was keen to see what the hotel’s signature Chinese fine-dining restaurant had in store for me, having heard a few good reviews.
With increasing numbers of people becoming more aware of their diet and lifestyle, veganism as a way of life is being embraced especially among millennials. Internationally experts predict that by 2026 the global vegan food market would be worth $24.3bn. In Sri Lanka too the vegan community is increasing daily and veganism is gaining momentum.
For baker Zuhara Faj – dessert is everything. With a strong passion for baking since she was very young, it seemed only natural for her to start her own dessert business. And while The Brownie Jar offers cakes and cupcakes, her signature sweet item is her brownies!
The Éclair Factory by baker Mafaza Haleem promises Colombo luxurious choux patisseries in all shapes, flavours and sizes. What was initially started as a hobby a decade ago in 2010 is now a fully-fledged business operating daily providing freshly baked eclairs and savoury bouchées to the public.
In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during the quarantine.
In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during the quarantine.
By adding a personal and special touch, Cake toppers are now a ‘must-have’ accessory for all celebratory occasions. Back in 2018, Dheethika Perera was one of the first to recognise this trend by founding ‘Caketoppers.lk’, a business that, true to its name, provides customised cake toppers for all special occasions.
On WTF this week I had a small Party with platters all for myself. Platter Parties have been around since 2017 and they’ve given new life to parties. I think the most interesting fact about why this unique idea became such a hit, is the people who do it. This mother-daughter combination is so much fun and they add life to the party through their platters.
How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, Asylum Restaurant’s Shiromi takes the Q&A! Located inside Independence Arcade, Colombo – the Asylum Restaurant and Bar has been making waves since the very first day. Today we get into conversation with the restaurant’s Managing Partner Shiromi for a casual conversation about her take on food!
In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during the quarantine.
For Ayesha Hiyaz, the idea for a home business started with a craving. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa – Ayesha moved to Sri Lanka when she married a Sri Lankan and has been residing in the island for the past decade. “Stuck at home during the lockdown – I got a craving for the cookies I used to eat at my home town – Cape Town. So just like everyone else during this time, I started baking!”.
How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, Sugar Shack’s Aru De Silva takes the quiz! Providing Colombo’s sweet-tooths with all their cravings and sugary fixes for nearly a decade, Sugar Shack’s Aru De Silva bakes the most mouth-watering goodies that we can’t get enough of!
In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during the quarantine.
The Hyve Dessert Bar may be Colombo’s first exclusive dessert bar when it first opened back in 2018. 2 years later, Hyve continues to prove that it is still among the crème de la crème of Colombo’s dessert scene.
On WTF this week, I sat down to eat some yummy Chinese food, where the portions are lavish. King Prawn is a new baby down Galle Road Mount Lavinia. King prawn has a large seating area, it’s perfect if you want to block an area just for you or for any celebration.
Run by couple Aysha Hajireen and Harsha Wijendra, Rasa Melayu is a post-lockdown home business that pays homage to their Malay roots. “Rasa Melayu means, ‘Malay Flavours’ in Malay. We wanted to keep it simple and elegant. Our prime focus is on Malay food. We needed a brand name that embraces our Malay culture. Ergo Rasa Melayu was born!”.
Shahla Malik, a happily married mum of three, qualified as a Montessori teacher before starting her own venture. ’’I gave up teaching after my first baby as I wanted to spend more time and do the best I could as a mom. Baking is something I had never thought I would get into, but after my older daughter’s 2nd birthday (where the cake I ordered was not as expected) I decided to start baking’’.
I’ve been on the hunt for a great spot for some Chinese food for a while now, and while the current situation in the country is not the perfect climate to be going out for dinner, I figured it’s always good to have a place in mind when I get that sudden craving.Also, I don’t mean the traditional chicken’s feet or whatever unconventional dishes that came out of that part of the world.
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