Serving food and earning livelihood: Success Story of Annapoorna Catering Services

The catering service of Annapoorna Catering is also known as Kasaragod model tiffin delivery service. That attribute itself would be enough to mark the intervention of Kudumbashree Mission in nurturing a healthy food habit. The entrepreneurs of Annapoorna Catering Services were much happy when they got an opportunity to serve food to a Sub Inspector of Police, whom they fear the most to approach. This is the response of a poor rural women just like any other women villagers of rural Kerala, meeting a police officer and serving food to him is of a great moment and reason for pleasure for them. Annapoorna catering and tiffin delivery service is an enterprise named after Lord Annapoorna Devi, the Goddess of food and nourishment. This is a small women enterprise started during the month of September 2018 at Perumboola, Kappanayadukam, a remote village in Chemmanad Grama Panchayath of Kasaragod district of Kerala.

Evolution of Annapoorna Catering Services

The unit is being run by a four member women squad of Smt. Sarada T and (NHG), Smt. Lakshmi. K of Thushara Neighborhood Group (NHG) and Smt. Sreeja.K of Sree Durga Neighborhood Group and Smt. Syamala of Pulari Neighborhood Group. Even though the members belong to middle age group, their enthusiasm and active involvement is much better than any other young entrepreneurs. The eldest member in the unit is 62 years old and the youngest one is 57 years old.  Smt. Sarada T is the President and Smt. Syamala is the Secretary of the unit.

To own a catering unit supplying food articles through tiffin delivery services to the most influential officers and decision makers is not a small thing.  During the earlier times, they were not confident enough to go to any government offices. Unlike the past, most of the department heads including Additional District Magistrate (ADM) are now their acquaintances. Their social and financial status has been significantly changed after owning the unit. Two of the unit members had previous experience in food industry. They were, previously employed in a bakery cum restaurant unit in the city. They were experts in making food stuffs of any kind that include snacks cutlet, puffs, steamed items etc. They had been serving in bakery units for more than 22 years for a meager daily wages. The experience in food and beverages sector is the motivating factor to start a food delivery service unit of their own.  

The organizing committee meeting of the Chamundeswary Perumboola (Karichery Tharavadu) temple festival of May 2018 had changed the fate of this four poor ladies as they were asked to supply food stuffs to the office bearers of Chamundeswary temple governing body meeting. The general body has about 2000 devotees as its members from different walks of life including religious leaders, social leaders, senior officials, merchants, farmers etc. The committee members were impressed with the quality of food stuffs served. Motivated by the feedback and positive comments received from the well-wishers, they had decided to start a business of similar kind. The four women sat together, discussed the idea of starting a catering unit intended to supply the food articles through tiffin delivery services.

Even though they had high level of confidence and motivation to start a new venture in food industry, the need of money pulled them back. Mobilizing resources and money were the major issues faced by them. Sreeja K, one of the unit members who was the Ex.ADS chairperson of her respective ward, discussed the matter with the Kudumbashree CDS chairperson to find out a workable solution. The CDS chairperson built enough confidence and advised them to avail Kudumbashree linkage loan to sort out the issue. Each member received Rs. 30,000 each as linkage loan. But this was even not enough to start a catering unit. Further they mobilized additional fund through gold loan.

Chemmanad Panchayath Ona Chanda is a popular festival event in Kasargod district. Every year the festival is being organized in Onam festival season with different programmes. ‘Onasadya’ is one of the most attractions in the festival. During 2018, the sadya (feast) was served by the unit for seven days starting from 11 -18 August 2018. The most enthusiastic unit members, inspired with the previous experiences and motivation approached the Grama Panchayath officials to get the order and bagged the order for supplying ‘Onasadya’ during the entire festival days.

This was a turning point as the customers appreciated the quality of the food stuff and the efforts of these poor ladies to gain their livelihoods. Fortunately, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) who attended the ‘onachanda’ had tasted the food stuff. Impressed by the story of these four poor ladies he asked them to expand their services. To make the unit sustainable, the unit should have daily operations, for this they have to make the unit functional throughout the year. As a solution, the ADM and Kudumbashree District Mission Coordinator, Kasaragod asked them to serve lunch to the employees working at civil station on a daily basis as “Tiffin services”. Unit members unanimously accepted the work order and decided to face the challenges. In spite of having a lot of financial issues and commitments they were moved with strong ambition and motivation to achieve the goal facing any challenges. The major crisis was the price of Tiffin boxes which cost Rs. 380 per piece, but, eventfully they managed it somehow taking further loans from friends and well-wishers.  

From 14 September, 2018, the Annapoorna catering and Tiffin delivery service unit started supplying Tiffin boxes to about 40 employees working in Kasaragod civil station. The project was inaugurated by ADM who was a real motivator and guide. Amazingly, the customers were very much happy with the quality and quantity of the food stuff served by the unit. The unit functions with high level of values and they never ever compromised on the quality and quantity of the food delivered and more importantly the taste is hundred percent guaranteed. As a result, they further obtained good number of orders for the supply of food items to the meetings and trainings organized by various government department and agencies.

 Catering services is one of the major sources of revenue. They earn a good amount through catering services. The unit gets order for different functions such as birthdays, get-togethers, wedding receptions, festivals etc. So far they have bagged around 50 catering service orders.

 The four-member squad is now the owner of a van which has been in service for two months for transporting food items to different programme sites. They hope to drive the vehicle to the destination in the near future. They also plan to provide employment to more poor women who are willing to work in the same sector. The ambitions go high when they think about their future plans and business potentials. They wish the tiffin service to be further expanded approaching other offices, shops and even to worksites on demand basis.  

It is purely the self confidence in oneself that made these women start and success in such an enterprise. When Kudumbashree Mission supported them wholeheartedly, they succeeded in their enterprise and is moving forward.