hen the world came to a halt in 2020, we witnessed the true scale of vulnerability surrounding people’s livelihoods. Covid-19 stopped almost all business sectors in their tracks, giving rise to unprecedented levels of economic uncertainty around the world. For many, this was a pivotal moment that provided them just the right amount of motivation to roll up their sleeves and take an entrepreneurial leap of faith, using innovative, digital tools.

One of the perceived effects of the post-pandemic era on the food industry has been the people’s desire to eat out more often. Customers were eager to pick up routine dining activities again and also seeking options for home-cooked hygienic meals.

“Selling home-cooked food online presented an unparalleled opportunity, especially for women who have difficulty leaving home for work because of family obligations, says Shafia Aurangzaib, who runs Eatable Unbeatable in Lahore. Aurangzaib has been a foodpreneur and a successful ‘home chef’ with Foodpanda since 2021.

Turning her kitchen into a home-based vendor for Foodpanda allowed her to support her family during difficult times, as her husband’s business began to suffer the effects of the pandemic. Motivated by an entrepreneurial spirit and her dedication to lift her loved ones out of financial distress, Aurangzaib signed up to become a home chef and began giving people in her town a taste of her delicious cooking. To her joy, she found instant success. She now plans to expand her operations.

From the comfort of their home kitchens, chefs from different parts of the city are finding their true calling in cooking. They find encouragement in only having to focus all their energies on the quality of their meals, instead of worrying about delivery too. “My whole life, since I was only 12 years old, people loved everything I cooked,” says Sophia, owner of Sorina’s Kitchen in Lahore. “From that age, I learned to channel my creativity into food. It was a creative expression that resulted from a lot of curiosity and love.”

With support and encouragement from her family and friends, Sophia began catering privately for her loved ones on birthdays and other events. That was only the beginning of her incredible food journey that took her to food capitals around the world and led her to master Indian, Thai, Korean, Sri Lankan and Iranian cuisines. The proud winner of Season 4 of Chef Hunt, Sophia also holds the distinction of having graduated from Scafa in Dubai.

For those passionate about getting into Pakistan’s highly lucrative food industry, it’s often a road filled with obstacles and difficulties. Working hours are late and if you don’t have enough capital to set up your own business, you have to start right at the bottom.

“People who live away from home are always on the lookout for healthy and hygienic food options because of a lack of time or cooking knowledge. They are also aware of the risks of consuming commercial food on a regular basis,” says Sophia, while talking about the perceived image of home food businesses.

or those passionate about getting into Pakistan’s highly lucrative food industry, it’s often a road filled with obstacles and difficulties. Working hours are long and if you don’t have enough capital to set up your own business, you have to start right at the bottom.

The average Pakistani’s access to the food industry has been single-handedly democratised by the home chef initiative. It is empowering people who have difficulty earning a living due to a variety of social or economic constraints or responsibilities.

The opportunity to become a successful chef from home has been an important solution for people from all walks of life. Muhammad Ishaq became a home chef in late 2021. Ishaq’s Fast Food Heaven by Frayo in Sialkot started out with his passion for cooking for family and friends. He began to think about creating high-end fast food meals, based on his passion for making the perfect burger. Ishaq worked hard to perfect his recipes and turned that idea into a successful business that is loved by people all over the town.

Ishaq has been complimenting his main revenue with his part-time occupation as a home chef and plans to expand his work to a larger, better equipped kitchen as his business grows. He asked a friend to design his business logo, and started spreading the word on social media about his new venture along with the possibility of marketing his new venture. That was when he set about developing extravagant meals that have become a staple in fast food all over the world.

Ishaq’s kitchen now has a fantastic rating. He aims even higher as he finds success in his true passion.

Home chefs are carefree when it comes to handling the logistical aspect of the business, as it’s taken care of by the app. The main reason why a lot of people can sometimes be hesitant to avail such an opportunity is the fear of the unknown. The thought of venturing into the unfamiliar is daunting, especially with so much on the line in difficult times. The opportunities that come with it, however, are enormous for a kitchen startup, such as one day opening up a restaurant thanks to all the accumulated experience gained cooking professionally.

The writer is an associate director at Media Matters Communication