Niloo Walpola

On this week’s edition of ‘The Founder’ we feature Niloo Walpola, an alumna of Ladies College, Colombo. Niloo is an entrepreneur who quit her job as a teacher at St. Thomas’s College, Mount Lavinia, in order to follow her entrepreneurial dream. She is a mother of two, and is the founder of the ‘Deli Box.’

In your own words, what is the DELI BOX? Deli means food and Box was established through the box-like space created when I launched my little cafe. I love abstract shapes, hence the name Deli Box.

What inspired you? I was inspired by the unique and traditional delicacies that have been passed down through generations, which have a Dutch and Portuguese background.

What was the journey like, starting from scratch and building the business up to where it is right now? The journey was not a planned one. I gave up work to be a stay-at-home mum, down the line, my little spare time coupled with a bit of boredom, and with the encouragement of my Aunt (who was an excellent cook), I began to bake a few traditional sweets. These were then appreciated and welcomed by family and friends which gave me a leap of encouragement to take this small venture forward. I began to gradually grow the business and orders came in primarily through word of mouth. In 2008, when my second child began school, I went back to work. Through this environment my baking items increasingly became popular and was favored by all. Eight years later, I gave up work to continue and grow my business in the food industry, and most importantly to do what I love the most; baking a little love and indulgence for all.

What were the hardships you faced as an entrepreneur, and what was the toughest one yet? Being a home-baker and doing all main preparations by myself, juggling both priorities of family and orders, can get very tough and demanding at times.

Being an entrepreneur, what was it like facing the global pandemic? The pandemic affected us very badly, Business was really good up until the very first lockdown. Soon after, everything started to come to a standstill as corporate orders reduced due to the lockdown, as well as individual orders. Sourcing and purchasing of products, deliveries, etc. all became extremely difficult. Gradually, after it opened up a little, we were able to slowly adjust to the ‘new normal’ as some may say, purchasing all goods online and eventually, adjusting ourselves to the pandemic lifestyle in order to get our business going again. People were at home and the food industry suddenly boomed with many home-bakers and individuals jumping on this bandwagon with new and innovative products to satisfy all sweet and savory cravings. This encouraged us to go out of our comfort zone to expand our menu making it more exciting. We started to introduce something new each month, and that also kept people excited and this strategy really took off, giving us an overwhelming number of orders each week and kept us on our feet.

Explain a few marketing strategies you have implemented, and what makes them successful?

I would say our primary sales come through word-of-mouth which has helped us establish a huge customer base for Deli Box. However, a weekly pre-order strategy that we implemented during lockdown has been a great success for the business. Additionally, a social media presence that helps keep Deli Box as a top-of-mind brand, has helped us connect with new customers.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis? The happy customers of course. Seeing people enjoy our food and the many encouraging words they share, brings about great joy and motivates me to keep innovating and baking. I also enjoy this whole journey, as it is a great outlet to put my creativity into play, creating new products for customers, and it keeps me on the go.

How did you get the initial start-up capital? I started very small, hence did not require any large capital. Whilst moving forward, I re-invested profits to purchase new equipment and rent more space.

What separates the Deli Box from its competitors? There are many similar home-bakers like me out there, all unique in their own way. However, something that helps us stand out would be the few unique family recipe delicacies we do, such as our famous cheesecake and fugettie, that have become very popular, and once tried out, customers keep coming back for more.

When did you discover your passion for your business? Baking has been part of my family. A talent that has passed down generations. As I got older, I began to discover my talent and was very passionate about it.

Who are your role models? My aunt. She’s a great chef and since childhood I have watched her bake mouthwatering sweets. She always taught us whenever we visited her. My mum was also a fantastic role model. Being a horticulturist, her great strength, boldness and courage motivated me to launch my own start-up.

Have you tried and failed with anything in the past? Yes, I keep trying new things all the time, and it doesn't always work out. But I always try to experiment and give our customers new items on the menu, and this year I managed to do a few new items which have become very popular and favored by many.

What is the end goal? To pass it on to the next generation, especially the traditional family recipes.