Home chefs quite quickly grew to become an integral part of the food and beverage industry as they bring something unique to the table. Many of them ventured into small businesses selling their products and hosting community meals.
However, the lockdown has taken a toll on their business. While some of them are working on coming up with a better business module, others are hoping that the end of the lockdown will allow them to resume their activities.
Industry experts feel home chefs should focus on bettering themselves and they offer a few tips for the same.
Focus on branding and content
It’s important that home chefs take this time to work on their branding and figure out how they want to market themselves. Work on the content and presentation of their products so that customers will continue to trust their services, some suggest. Some chefs are using this lockdown period to write books, create videos, share recipes and partake in panel discussions about the industry.
Since home chefs have always been working within their homes, this period would not be as restrictive, making it a great time to rebuild themselves.
Revenue method
Earlier, selling their products and hosting foodies was a major source of revenue for home chefs. Now, they have to change their game.
Many bloggers who have been sharing food recipes regularly have noticed a growth, despite there being no advertisements.
Build trust
Home chefs have an advantage over hoteliers, for the simple reason that all their offerings come with the promise of having been made at home. However, during these testing times, every brand is being faced with the herculean task of rebuilding and re-establishing that trust.
Staying in touch with your existing clientele and sharing information about the safety procedures that are being followed at your home are some methods you can follow.
Delivery tie-ups
Most home chefs would like to tie up with delivery partners like Swiggy and Zomato but cannot bear the commission cost.
Delivery app Dunzo seems to be a more cost-effective and popular choice as the customers will bear the cost of delivery along with their purchase.
Industry insiders are hoping for a better delivery system for home chefs so that they don’t have to lose out so much on the profit that they have been making.
Stick to your strengths
Many prefer home chefs over a restaurant chef because they bring something unique to the table, such as the homely feel of their food.
For this reason, many don’t mind paying a little extra; customers understand that each plate of food is made with lots of love and care. Instead of going out of their comfort zone in a panic to stay afloat, home chefs should stick to their areas of expertise and believe in themselves.
Upskill yourself
The lockdown period is a good time to learn new ways to improve your brand. Improve your photography skills, learn to talk confidently in front of the camera and attend webinars and online panel discussions. Talk to industry experts and learn how you can implement their ways and make it your own.
Work on the presentation of your food. Having said that, home chefs don’t need to achieve picture-perfect plating. Don’t minimise the quality or quantity for the sake of pictures.
Tie up with other brands
Corporate brands and even hotels will be interested to tie up with home chefs for their speciality dish for various events. Use this time to network with people and build your contacts.
Better organisation
Unlike the hoteliers association, home chefs don’t have an established association that can overlook the community. A body such as this can help home chefs make their business more lucrative.
Industry insiders say that it’s important for home chefs to be dedicated and take this job seriously. They feel that some who have the potential don’t utilise the opportunity as they should because of the lack of organisation.