Business Spotlight: Meet Salha, a Sudanese Chef

About Salha and her Business…

“I am Salha, originally from Sudan and I have been living in England for more than six years. I have had the best experience over the last six years. Even if challenges came up, I could always face them.”

As a mother of five children, Salha is an inspiration for other mothers who are aspiring entrepreneurs. She also shared that her children’s presence in the kitchen creates a positive work environment for her business.

“I am a mother of five children and an amazing cook. I enjoy working in the kitchen environment where my children are around me. I cook fresh food every single day. Some people ask me how I did it with five kids, I said if you believe in yourself and appreciate what you have and focus on your job, you can do anything you want!”

Developing a Love for Cooking….

Salha’s love for cooking was sparked by both her parents when she was a child back in Sudan and inspired her business journey in the food industry.

“I grew up in a big family and I always saw my mom cooking delicious dishes. She taught me all I know! I fell in love with cooking since my childhood. Also, I worked with a well-known chef in my hometown. He is (also my father) a famous and amazing chef. I have got my experience from him. My parents are my biggest supporters in my life along with my kids.”

Supporting Salha’s Business Aspirations…

At the beginning of 2023, Salha found out about the business support that ACH provides through a community workshop and started working with The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority's Growth Hub Business Consultant, Scarlett Hagger to expand her business community network.

“Earlier this year, I've been to ACH’s workshop in Redcliffe Community. In there, a woman asked me about my plans for this year. I said I just started my small catering business this month. She said ACH is one of the best places you can go to if you wanted to start a small business. I took her advice, and I called them. I was so lucky to have support from ACH! I'm still getting lots and lots of opportunities from ACH. They have amazing people, and everyone tried to support me to reach my goals. I go to their monthly network sessions and meet new people. Their support is so valuable. It is great to have someone supporting you and motivating you for the business you do.”

Working with different Business Consultants at ACH…

Scarlett from The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority's Growth Hub is a business consultant who works on the Migrant Business Support Project and shared that Salha has been an inspiring service user with her proactive engagement with all the business support available. As a result of her fast-action, Salha has had a positive response in the early stages of her business catering for individuals and events within a short amount of time. For example, on International Women’s Day, Salha ran a food event with the Mazi Project, an organisation that aims to empower marginalised youths through food.

Salha also started working with Shalini Sivakrishnan, another business consultant from ACH who works in the Green Growth Accelerator Project and is exploring ways to adopt environmentally sustainable behaviours in her business, such as avoiding plastic usage and combating food wastage. To further her knowledge and understanding of the Green Business Climate, she attended a Business Sustainability workshop delivered by UWE. During the workshop, Salha looked at tangible ways to incorporate the Global Sustainable Development Goals into her business and brainstormed how her food business can bring about social impact in the community. She is constantly working on her business and improving her business skills.

“I'm so grateful the way my business is going. I found that the language is challenging, but every single day I learn new things in my life. I became a more patient person and I feel more comfortable to speak with others. I improve my skills day after day. My community and neighbours have tried many of my delicious dishes since lockdown and I received great feedbacks.”

Future Business Goals…

“I’ve already reached some of my goals! I am working with All About the Cooks, you can order my delicious foods from there. I improved my skills and I'm totally focused on what I'm doing right now.”

Salha shared that whilst she is happy with her business progress now, she hopes to set up her own Sudanese café a few years down the road.

Starting and running a business is a daunting journey to embark on. When asked if she had any advice for anyone who is thinking of setting up a business, Salha said:

“Before you start your own business, it's important to remember that you need to reach people who do the same business as you, so they can give you advice and more information about the process.

If you really want to be the best version of yourself, get up today and start working! I promise you will get there.”

Finally, we asked Salha how she would describe the business support she received from ACH in one sentence…

ACH is a professional company which supports you until you reach your dream and goals! If you are going to start a business or already own one, I recommend working with ACH.

Support Salha’s Food Business…

Salha is a chef on All About the Cooks, an online food catering platform. Visit her site to peruse her menu and order her food: All About the Cooks.

Thinking about setting up your own business?

ACH offers free personalised support with the launch or growth of your business. Contact us to find out more or visit our webpage.

Email: business.support@ach.org.uk

**The photos on this blog were taken by All About the Cooks.