The Coronavirus and the two-month lockdown haven’t been great for a lot of business – especially restaurants and cafés relying on hungry customers and diners to make a profit. But turning adversity into opportunity is a special skill we Sri Lankans seemed to have mastered over the years and that is exactly what we’ve successfully done in times like these. In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! With dining out now a distant possibility, these businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during quarantine.
Here’s how they did it;
DANGEROUSLY DELICIOUS
Delani Jayaratne took the lockdown period to try some of her favourite recipes. What started out as a hobby and a way to kill time, soon turned into a blossoming business in just a matter of weeks. Constantly experimenting with new recipes, Dangerously Delicious is a business that’s constantly expanding its menu!
Q
What do you offer?
My best sellers are my Rustic Chocolate cake, Cinnabons, Tres Leches and the Victoria Sponge cake. Other than that – I make coffee cake and eclairs as well!
Q When did you start operations?
My whole business commenced during curfew! I initially thought that the lockdown period was going to be short term but after a while I realised we might be home for a while. I knew I had all the time in the world on my hands so that pushed me to try and test many recipes during this time. So even thought I started it by accident, I started to deliver my tried and tested recipes.
My best sellers are my Rustic Chocolate cake, Cinnabons, Tres Leches and the Victoria Sponge cake
Q What was it like running your operations during curfew?
I did find it somewhat difficult at the beginning, however once the delivery option was made available to customers, I managed to commence my operation successfully.
Q Was it difficult to source your ingredients?
I was motivated and ready to bake and thanks to online purchasing made available by leading supermarket chains I managed to receive my ingredients on time, which helped continue my operations without much of a hitch.
Q How are you ensuring the proper hygiene measures are taken in preparation and delivery?
Hygiene is a critical factor which I personally take responsibility for and making sure all procedures are followed at all times. In the case of delivery - most of my customers prefer to pick up their order but however in the event a delivery is requested from a client I am in a position to make arrangements within the city limits of Colombo and will ensure
all proper hygiene measures are taken.
Q
What was the most challenging part about operating during curfew?
Making sure that the consumers received their home baked orders on time without delays was pretty challenging.
Q How do you plan going forward post Covid?
I believe that I have managed to serve a large customer base during this time. We have seen many repeating and new clients and I am sure that giving a good product to the satisfaction of the customer would keep me busy and engaged while trying out new recipes going forward.
- Orders can be placed via call or Whatsapp on 0777385408 or via Instagram or Facebook (@dangerously_delicious3). Cash is the only accepted method of payment
