MADE WITH LOVE | Farhana Mostafa takes us behind the scenes of her business Homemade by Farhana

Farhana Mostafa takes us behind the scenes of her business Homemade by Farhana, which aims to provide delicious home-cooked food while maintaining the highest safety standards.

How did the idea of becoming a food entrepreneur begin to materialise?

I have been in the food business for seven years. Cooking has always been a passion. Moreover, it was the right career for me, having years of experience. Homemade by Farhana was launched to provide an alternative to restaurant food. Over the years, concerns have been raised over the quality and safety of commercial restaurants. There have been numerous incidents of patrons falling sick due to food being prepared and kept in questionable conditions. People are increasingly leaning towards home-cooked food because we have been able to provide better quality more efficiently.

What kind of dishes are you currently offering? What are the most popular items of Homemade by Farhana?

My signature items include patties and cream cakes/birthday cakes (customized). Other items are Beef Tehri, Tandoori Chicken (Own recipe), Beef Halim, Jar Cake, Cup Cake, Chocolate Moose, Donut. In addition, I have introduced a small range of catering services, which include local food, wedding food, etc. Frozen foods include potato singara, chicken samucha, dal puri beef shami kebab, porota.

In recent years, the demand for homemade food has increased significantly because of the concern over restaurant food quality. How do you ensure the quality of the ingredients you use?

Definitely, restaurants are hardly follow hygiene protocols. Food safety and health experts see a link between the rising trends in non-communicable diseases and the consumption of substandard and unsafe foods. It is a prevalent issue that is hurting all the stakeholders of the industry, especially the customers. If not appropriately managed, the matter could one day snowball into a major public health issue.

The primary objective of my business is to provide tasty, high-quality food to my clients while ensuring the highest safety standards. Therefore, I use the products and raw materials that I would use for my own home. My clients are like my family members, and I would never risk their safety under any circumstances.

Maintaining a cloud kitchen must be stressful and time-consuming. How do you maintain a work-life balance?

Yes, it is pretty challenging to maintain a work-life balance while running a cloud kitchen. When home becomes a place of work as well, the lines between the two can easily blur. Moreover, there are numerous time constraints in our business, and any delay can ruin someone’s special day. Honestly, everything depends on how you manage and the kind of support you have. I am lucky to have incredibly supportive family members who make my life easier. That includes my five-year-old son, who is also my primary food critique.

With an increasing client base, Homemade by Farhana is set to grow significantly in the coming years. How do you envision your business five years from now?

There are lots of plans, but everything depends on the Almighty. However, my primary goal will always be to serve delicious, fresh food while maintaining the highest safety standards. Knowing people like my food and that it helps put a smile on their faces gives me immense pleasure and makes my job rewarding. I have ambitions to open a physical store; once the pandemic is over.