Suja Alex, a housewife hailing from Kanjirappally, has scripted a big culinary success story in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over nearly two decades. Inspired by the lessons on typical Central Travancore cooking she picked up while young, her catering firm Sujas Kitchen, which is based in Sharjah, is now expanding to Dubai.
How it all started
Four to five family friends of Suja's were fed up with hotel food 20 years ago and she decided to cook for them. Soon, other Keralites in Sharjah heard about her prowess in the kitchen and began placing orders. This led to starting of her venture, Sujas Kitchen.
Now, the newly-opened ultra-modern 5,000-square feet facility of the firm at Al Quoz in Dubai hopes to tap the growing demand for central Travancore cuisine among Keralites all over the Emirates. Orders from various business centres near Al Quoz are met without delay. Suja proves that even a housewife can scale heights of entrepreneurship with a practical bent of mind and sheer hard work.
New plans
The Dubai unit is the brainchild of Suja's younger son and businessman Jacob Alex. Jacob plans to take up the concept of executive business lunch to expand the venture started by his mother Suja and father Alex.
"Sujas Kitchen, though based at Sharjah, caters mostly to customers in Dubai. In fact, at least 60% of our orders are placed from Dubai. Supplying the dishes on time overcoming hurdles like the distance and traffic jams is a challenge. The new unit in Dubai will help avoid such issues," says Suja.
Equipped with the latest equipment imported from France and Italy, the Dubai kitchen will prepare Indian, continental, and Chinese dishes too, in addition to Kerala cuisine.
"Food, including the business lunch, from Dubai unit can be quickly delivered at Media City, Business Bay, Trade Centre and other upscale business centres in Dubai," says Suja.
A housewife's transformation
Suja loved cooking from a young age and graduated with distinction in home science from St Teresa's College, Ernakulam. After her marriage to Alex, a noted basketball player who took part in several international tournaments as a member of the Indian team, Suja enjoyed hosting dinners for his wide circle of friends. By word of mouth, the taste of her dishes spread far and wide.
Being always enthusiastic in preparing lip-smacking food items for any number of people any time, Suja laid the foundation of her catering venture. With more and more people approaching her with requests to serve them, Suja, along with Alex, decided to set up a licensed kitchen.
The fame of 'Housewife's kitchen' in no time reached all parts of the Emirates with non-resident Keralites giving her whole-hearted support.
Suja's secrets to success
The successful businesswoman shares some of her secrets. "We have never compromised on quality. While choosing the best ingredients, the price goes up. But we were pleasantly surprised by the big response for our executive lunch, which costs almost double the price charged by hotels. It proved that high quality food will attract customers, whatever the price," says Suja.
Initially Suja targeted bachelors placed in top jobs. "The demand kept rising steadily and we realized that bachelors loved our package," she says.
Suja's kitchen serves all kinds of preparations, but it is the traditional Kerala cuisine that is most popular. Her items are also served ceremonially in the church. Her firm can now service orders for up to 2,000 guests anywhere in the UAE. Suja is also a regular judge on cookery shows in the Gulf country.
Along with Alex, Suja's two sons Thomas and Jacob also helped her in the business even during their academic days. "This venture has grown as the result of the teamwork in which each member of our family played a crucial part,'' attest Suja and Alex.
"Another crucial factor for our success is financial discipline," says Suja.
"Our sons gave full support in everything from purchasing items to maintaining day-to-day accounts," she adds.
Suja is extremely busy these days. But the only daughter of the late Vakkachan, belonging to Konduparambil, Kanjirappally, is proud of her journey so far. What has made her most happy is the wide appreciation she is receiving for her Central Travancore items.
The money matters of Sujas Kitchen are being taken care of by Alex, who has a thirty-year experience in financial controlling at four leading companies in UAE. The new ventures like Dubai Kitchen are handled by the younger son, Jacob, who is a chartered accountant. The elder son, Thomas, is with consultancy firm Deloitte and lives in Chicago with his wife Wilma.
Growing popularity
The kitchen items made by Suja are in huge demand at conferences, fairs, association meetings, schools, parties organized in connection with VIP visits, and other events. Business peaks during festivals like Christmas, Easter, Vishu, and Onam. Christmas cakes made by Suja are so popular that last time, she could hardly meet the demand in spite of increased production.
Sujas Kitchen brings out various typical Kerala-style pickles and snacks also, which are available even in markets like Europe, US, and Canada.
