A cook-off challenge between friends to get rid of the lockdown boredom has given a Joburg couple a new lease on life with a thriving baking business.
When level 5 lockdown was introduced in the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Kabelo Molepo was looking for employment after he had lost his job at a big retail company.
Molepo, 32, and his partner Poppy Louw, 34, realised that getting a job would be difficult during the lockdown as most businesses were not operating and also retrenching.
He had been working with a friend for two months earning a stipend. An opportunity presented itself when the couple entered a lockdown cook-off with friends in their home and Molepo served chocolate chip cookies as a desert for the three-course meal they presented.
“They loved my cookies and could not stop talking about them. Poppy suggested that it would be a good idea to sell them at the convenience store at the entrance of our complex. I took a leap of faith and used my last remaining R400 from my stipend to buy ingredients to bake the chocolate dip cookies. The cookies sold out every two days and the owner of the store, Mohamed Ali, was kind enough to offer us a shelf space at no charge,” he said.
Molepo said that was how Daddy Bae’s Kitchen started and he also used social media to market his cookies.
“Poppy also took my cookies to her work place and they loved them. I also had customers in Pretoria and Kimberley. I started making an initial batch of 48 cookies which grew to more than 200 per day."
Louw said the growth of the business also came with some challenges. Three months into the business they were faced with capacity problems as they had people from across the country ordering their cookies.
“We started the business for Kabelo to contribute to the household, which made it difficult to keep [save] the money in the bank. However, we have recently appointed business consultants to help us with accounting and legal services,” Louw said.
The couple said they were also scammed when they tried to buy eggs from a supplier they met on Facebook. They said the business is still growing strong and Molepo has gained confidence and the ability to make a difference in his life and that of his family.
“Bearing witness to his journey is testimony to the fact that you can do what you love and thrive. As a couple, we have had fun and continue to learn more about each other as business owners,” Louw said.
The couple is in the process of finalising a business plan and apply for funding to secure equipment and an operating space.
“Furthermore, there are clients who have shown interest in our merchandise, which will open another income stream for the business,” Louw said.
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