Sarah Adeola Odunsi: I always wanted people to eat good and nourishing food

Sarah Adeola Odunsi is a Psychologist, a professional chef and an entrepreneur. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, and got certified as a Chef and Culinary Instructor from The Culinary Place, Lagos.

Popularly called Chef D, Adeola is the Head Chef of OnePot Catering Services, located in Ikeja, Lagos. With over four years top-notch experience in the food business, she has mastered the art of using the best recipes to create signature meals, talk about creativity at its peak. She has well-crafted food menus comprising both local and continental dishes geared towards not just satisfying cravings, but also meeting the nutritional needs of both young and old.

Her skillset has given her the opportunity to work with some top chefs in the food industry, including Chef Giggles, Chef Navhi, Chef Fregz, amongst others. She has trained over 600 individuals trying to start up food businesses through her classes, which hold both online and offline. Her exemplary culinary skills and uniqueness in the food business earned her a nomination at the 2020 “25 Under 25” Award in the Foods and Drinks Category.

Adeola strongly believes in charity and as such, a bit of her proceeds is extended to charitable causes at different times. She is a proud member of Ace5, an organisation that cares for the needs of the less privileged in Oyo and Lagos State and she was a two-time Finance Team Lead with the organisation. When she is not in the kitchen cooking, Adeola enjoys shopping for new recipes and new kitchen utensils.

She shares her inspiring journey and passion for cooking.

Childhood Influence
GROWING up was fun and exciting. I grew up in a big family with cousins, uncles, and aunts around me; my Grandma too pampers me.

My Passion For Catering
I always wanted people to eat good and nourishing food. I’ve always been that child you will find in the kitchen, even when I didn’t understand what people were cooking, l would just stay, watch and try to learn. I grew up with that energy to always desire more knowledge about food and cooking.

I wanted to go to a culinary school right after secondary school, but my mum was like ‘hell no.’ My parents said, ‘you go to the university first and then we talk about culinary school afterwards.’ In 2019, l officially started my culinary journey.

My Decision To Be A Chef
I decided I was going to be a Chef after I finished my secondary education, but I couldn’t attend a culinary academy until the completion of my undergraduate studies.
Challenges

The food industry is big and it keeps growing. I think the biggest challenge is finding your niche in the food industry and growing your client base.

Three Women Who Inspire Me And Why
Rukayat Momoh (Chef Giggles) – She’s my mentor; was my tutor in culinary school. She currently runs the fastest growing culinary school in Nigeria and keeps breaking barriers.

Ife Durosimi-Etti – She’s the founder of Herconomy. Passionate about women and youth, she connects women to each other while bringing jobs, grants and fellowship opportunities our way.

Ife Agoro- She’s the brain behind Diary of a Naija Girl. What drew me to her were her storytelling skills, which were always motivating. Her page, to me, is a place where women can be heard, seen, understood and valued.

My Nomination As One Of The “25 Under 25”
It was surreal. Though I didn’t win, the feeling of being nominated was amazing. It made me feel and know that l was doing something right.

My Favourite Rice Dish And Least Favourite To Prepare
My favorite rice dish to prepare has to be Oriental rice (Asian cuisine). I really don’t have a least favorite at the moment. At one time (years ago), it used to be Jollof rice, but after many practices and training, l got a hang of it.

My Cooking Philosophy
Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors— it’s how you combine them that set you apart. -Wolfgang Puck.

Where I Hope To Be In 5 Years
In 5years, l hope to have expanded my business beyond what it is now, in terms of the services we offer and reaching new clients. I hope to be people’s number 1 choice when it comes to delivering, not just delicious, but also nutritional meals.

To Young Girls Setting Out To Make A Career In Culinary Arts
Hurdles and challenges will definitely come, but you have to stay focused, because you will overcome them in no time. Most especially, do not fear failure and mistakes, because you will fail a lot of times.

Failing only means you are getting closer to success, because failure is part of success. So, when you fail, pull yourself together and try again.