Today we’d like to introduce you to Ada Anumudu.
Ada, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in a traditional Nigerian (Igbo) household in Nigeria and as the oldest daughter (the “Ada”), I was always the go to person for most things which included help in the kitchen. I was often in the kitchen assisting my mom to prepare family meals and that’s where my love/hobby for baking and cooking developed. I definitely get my foundational cooking tips from my mom.
After moving to the United States as a teenager, I was even more intrigued by the different types of cultures and foods. I started incorporating some of these newfound flavors into my already familiar Nigerian foods.
It all started as an innocent post on Instagram. I would try out a new baking recipe or cook something and then post a picture. People then started commenting with the oohs and aahs, telling me how good the food looked. It then quickly translated to family and friends coming over to my place, requesting for me to cook them some of the food they see posted on Instagram. They all loved the food and encouraged me to monetize it.
Being a caterer was far from my mind at the time as I was in school but I realized that I enjoyed being creative with food. I decided to take up the first person who reached out to me for a paid order. It was for a wedding cocktail hour and the bride wanted me to make some hor’deurves. After doing that wedding, I posted the picture of the food on Instagram and as they say, the rest is history.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. It is one thing to cook for yourself or a small group and enjoy a small batch of flavorful food, however when you start cooking in large batches, you really have to know what you’re doing.
I recall an instance where I had a huge order from a customer for a party of 200 people. I was so devastated when I got a call from the customer the following day saying some of the food was spoilt and her guests could not eat. I had to refund the money and cut my losses.
Additionally, there have been multiple times when I have cooked or baked a batch of food and it just didn’t taste the same either due to a different type of ingredient that I decided to try, etc. I end up either dumping the batch or forcing my family to eat it, which has worked sometimes. ;-). It’s a challenge because all the time, effort and resources are wasted but I count it all as a part of the journey.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Edible Treats by Ada story. Tell us more about the business.
Edible Treats by Ada is a catering business that was created out of a love for cooking and combining authentic unique flavors. Traditionally influenced by Nigerian (African) food, it aims to fuse African flavors with indigenous foods. Our main specialty is in appetizers/hors deurves or as Nigerians will say small chops, however we also make a variety of Nigerian/African dishes that we are proud of. Additionally, we offer tastings for large catering events so you can get a feel of what the dishes taste like beforehand.
In as much as Edible Treats by Ada has its roots in traditional Nigerian (African) flavors, we are also developing a variety of fusion dishes with similar flavorful cuisines like Asian, Mexican, etc. We intend to fuse these international flavors with traditional African flavors in order to offer a variety of tastes for different palates. We currently do deliveries and/or pick ups and hope to have a restaurant space of our own in the future.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With the onset of COVID-19, I feel like a lot of food companies will invest more in delivery and take out services. There might start to be a shift from traditional sit-down restaurants to more deliveries/ take-outs.
Additionally, I think there will be a lot of fusion type restaurants as America is a huge melting pot of different cultures. I look forward to seeing this fusion. Also, I see a vast array of restaurant/catering services adopting vegetarian type options and plant-based options as that’s where the world is moving towards. Fortunately, we have vegetarian options on our menu as well.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edibletreatsbyada
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edibletreatsbyada
Image Credit:
All Edible Treats by Ada Photos
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