by Khrista Davis
A Pharmacy student has launched her own lockdown business – making Nigerian food and delivering it to customers by scooter.
Dami Salako, a 19-year-old student at De Montfort University, launched her initiative when a job furlough began to wind down and she realised it could not sustain her for much longer.
Having been let go from her hospitality job and been put on furlough, Dami realised that it was time for her to take up a new venture.
Her solution? A Nigerian food business that is open everyday, with a USP where she personally delivers the food to her customers on a scooter.
She said: “Having a job is quite tiring as well as university, so working from home and being in control of my own business has been really helpful.
“I’ve always wanted to have my own business, but I think being on furlough kind of gave me the push I needed to get up and actually start properly.”
Dami started her own food business called 1&OnlyKitchen from the comfort of her home.
With Nigerian food as her staple, she wanted to bring home cooking to those who don’t have access to home all the time.
“When a lot of students from Nigerian backgrounds come to university they can’t cook their own food.
“They enjoy it at home but they don’t necessarily get that luxury when they get to university, which I now provide and want to provide on a bigger scale in the future if I get my own little spot.
“The majority of food on my menu is stuff that people wouldn’t be able to cook at university as there isn’t enough time to cook those dishes.
“I decided my niche would be food that people don’t have the luxury of having when they come to university, traditional homemade food,” she added.
Dami specialises in traditional Nigerian dishes such as ayamase, efo and pounded yam.
But she also has other items on offer for those who want something different, such as mac n cheese and honey BBQ wings.
Catering to the public but more so students, she makes sure her prices are student-friendly.
A full meal and a drink can range from £10 to £20 depending on portion sizes. She additionally does bulk meals as well as platters ranging from £25 to £40, all depending on size.
With promo deals, recycleable and re-useable packaging, Dami keeps customers coming back, with deals where a purchase of her infamous Chapman drink also gets you a re-useable cup, so every time you order with her, your drink is free – a surefire way of maintaining customer loyalty.
For more information or to place an order, go to www.instagram.com/1andonlykitchen__ .
