South Africa is truly a rainbow nation, a mixture of many cultures and twelve official languages. With all this diversity comes different culinary experiences. From mogodu (tripe), koeksisters to ujeqe (steamed bread). As a South African, you want to be able to create some of these famous culinary dishes and that is where chef Lerato Mokonyane (chef Lee) and the Good Food Studio come in.
This week’s SME Founder Focus takes us on a culinary adventure as we gain insights into how the founder of the Good Food Studio started and what she’s cooking up next.
Chef Lee’s First Recipe
Chef Lee started her culinary journey as a caterer. The catering company was her side hustle, but she soon realised that she had a passion for food and food experiences. After getting retrenched during the COVID-19 pandemic, she knew she had to do something to earn an income.
After that, chef Lee investigated what else she could do with food in terms of content creation, food styling, cooking classes and more. During that time, she realised that there wasn’t much information available about what she wanted to do, but she knew she had to persevere because food was her passion.
“Often, as chefs or culinary students, we get boxed into the idea that cooking is all we’re meant for because that’s what we’re trained to do. From there, the focus shifted to building a space where like-minded people can explore, create, and learn about the many lanes within the food industry. It’s been about embracing possibilities beyond the kitchen and fostering creativity within the field,” says Mokonyane.
The Next Ingredient: Education
After this tough period, chef Lee decided to study more about food. Initially, she thought she wanted to study medicine and become a dietitian because of her passion for food and nutrition. This made her pivot and study Consumer Science with a focus on food and nutrition. This also brought on the meal prep services that the Good Food Studio initially offered.
“My love for food was deeply tied to an interest in nutrition. I’ve always been fascinated by how what we consume affects us physically and mentally, and I also had a love for psychology. Eventually, I ended up studying Consumer Science, majoring in food and nutrition. I’ve realised life has its own plan, but somehow, things always come full circle in one way or another,” explains Mokonyane.
The Good Food Studio
The Good Food Studio is a creative food agency. The company provides a range of services including cooking classes, food styling services, corporate catering, recipe development and private chef hire. So far, chef Lee and the team have worked with many well-known brands. These include Kellogg’s, Standard Bank, Investec, Pepsi, PwC, and Sasol, among others.
“We do more than just make good, delicious food. We are a creative food agency that combines food, content, and community to support food brands and their marketing agencies. We do this through our services such as recipe development, food photography and cooking classes. It’s about good food, great content and marketing plus having fun,” she says.
Good and Bad Ingredients
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, there have been highs and lows for chef Lee. One of the things she says has contributed greatly to her success is her team. She explains that the community she’s built is her greatest highlight.
She says that she has been surrounded, supported, and partnered with the most incredible people along the way. “I would be doing the studio a disservice if I didn’t acknowledge that it stands where it is today because of them and, of course, with the invaluable support of my business partner.”
As with all business ventures, there were some challenges for chef Lee. She highlights funding as one of the biggest challenges. “Everything we’ve achieved so far has been built from the ground up,” chef Lee says. “While we’re actively working on securing financing to take things to the next level, it’s been a tough road, and we’re not operating with the upper hand just yet.”
Additionally, she says there is little representation within the industry for people like her. She says there aren’t enough people who share the same background as her and that it’s a “significant challenge”.
The Future of the Culinary Studio
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The Good Food Studio continues to thrive and is working on some exciting projects for the future. Chef Lee says the future for The Good Food Studio includes:
- Building a curated network of food experts, including photographers, stylists, and chefs, to provide talent for any project.
- Designing multifunctional studio spaces which can be adapted for cooking demos, media productions, and more.
- Creating a centralised resource hub which will offer industry insights, trend reports, and professional connections.
- Expand the business into other provinces and globally through franchising.
“The future definitely looks promising and exciting. For now though, I want to stay grounded in the discomfort I’ve experienced, trusting that it’s all leading to a greater purpose beyond me. Hopefully, in the near future that purpose will have started to reveal itself,” Mokonyane smiles.
Recipes for Success
Her advice for anyone looking to enter the culinary industry is never to stop learning. She says to learn from those who came before and after you, stay open to new trends, always keep in mind the business side of the culinary industry and celebrate all your wins big or small.
“I’ve been guilty of not pausing to reflect on how far I’ve come, and that’s affected my mindset when it comes to moving to the next level. Taking time to acknowledge your progress is essential,” Mokonyane concludes.
