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A two-person cooking business based in the Odedra’s family home in Ōrewa recently beat many larger and more established companies to win Silver in the Outstanding NZ Food Producers’ Awards.
Sobhna Odedra says her recipes were learned from her late mother, and influenced by a life spent in Gujarat in India as well as East Africa, England and New Zealand.
“We call our mild version of the paste ‘kiwi mild’ and it has no chilli in it,” Sobhna says.
Cooking is like breathing to Sobhna, 69, who never uses written recipes and has been cooking since she was 10 years old.
The food that her family loves first found a wider audience when Sobhna cooked for the Red Beach School Gala in 2011, and there were rave reviews.
A family stall at Silverdale and Ōrewa markets followed, then Coatesville, Puhoi and Grey Lynn markets.
At first they sold a mix of samosas, pakora and sauces. The curry paste that won the award – Sobhna’s Authentic Original Curry Paste – was added in 2016.
Sobhna’s daughter Nimeesha says cooking remained a hobby, until the products really began to take off online during lockdown last year.
“We were doing a lot of cooking and making videos of whatever we were having for dinner,” Nimeesha says. “It started as a way to keep mum busy during lockdown and it was amazing to see all the feedback and Facebook followers that came along with us.”
At this time, the range expanded and new sources of bulk spices had to be found. Two e-recipe books were written. Instead of making their products at Glenfield Community Centre’s kitchen, the Odedras went through the exacting process of having their home kitchen verified as commercial.
Although Nimeesha helps out in the Ōrewa kitchen from time to time, her main role has been growing the company online while completing a doctorate on the career outcomes of migrant women. Her son Shiv, 17, does the heavy lifting and packing.
Nimeesha says they were over the moon last month on hearing they’d won an award.
“What my mum is doing shows that you can be an entrepreneur and follow your dreams at any age. We entered only one product in the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, very hesitantly, and were so happy to get a silver medal. So many locals have helped us, every step of the way, and we are very grateful.”
Giving back to the community is something Sobhna says she loves doing. She has cooked for Love Soup, provided food parcels to Women’s Refuge and donated to the Auckland City Mission.
Nimeesha says they are currently working towards setting up the business as a social enterprise, so that meals can be donated to Love Soup on a regular basis.
Sobhna and Nimeesha will be presented with their award this month.
