Anya’s Kitchen
This past year, Sri Lanka was thrown into lockdown due to the arrival of a few Covid-19 cases in the country. The government imposed a strict lockdown which continued for many days, and most people did not have access to the supplies they needed to survive. At one point during the lockdown, the Government opened up the city for a short amount of time, allowing people to rush to the nearest grocery stores and stock up on food. My mother and I stood in a line for almost 45 minutes, after which we finally were able to enter Food City. Our cart was already brimming and we were only halfway through our shopping list. As we headed over to the bread aisle, we realised that there was barely anything on the shelf! It was at this moment, that the idea for Anya’s Kitchen was born!
Ever since I was a child, cooking has always been a passion of mine. I have dabbled and experimented with many different types of cooking techniques, and over time, have learned to cook a variety of dishes from multiple cuisines. I enjoy making many different things, especially desserts! My desserts, especially my cookies, have been a very popular dish in the past, and I have sold them multiple times at fundraisers, never having any leftover. I decided that I would take advantage of the lockdown, and start to sell the food I made to customers.
During the next stretch of the lockdown, I worked hard to design a menu, logo and plan. I sat down with my father one evening and learned a little bit about the financial aspect of starting a business. This helped me calculate what my prices should be! Using my skills from design, I made a menu and logo on Adobe Illustrator, and then used google sheets to create an accounting page, where I would write down every order I completed. As soon as lockdown opened up again, I was up and about, going all over the city to get everything in order. I bought many disposable aluminium containers, and then got my logo printed into sticker sheets. I stocked up on every grocery item I would need for the items on my menu, and was ready to go.
I started Anya’s Kitchen towards the end of June 2020, and have already made more than 70,000 rupees selling my brownies, cookies, bread and more! My goal is to hit 100,000 rupees, and everything I earn will be donated. This achieves CAS outcomes 2, 3, and 6. I am undertaking a challenge to develop new skills, and I have also initiated and planned this experience by myself. By donating what I earn, I will be engaging with issues of global significance.
