While most of us see this critical step as an inconvenience, Wanjiru Mambo, the Founder and CEO of Wedgehut Foods saw it as an opportunity and has today built an entire business that not only generates income for her but is also a source of employment for 30 other staff. “We are in the value addition of potatoes where we get potatoes as they are from the farmer, do the sorting, the cleaning, the peeling and finally packing,” she says. “The end product is fresh, ready-to-cook potato.”

A PANDEMIC BABY

Wedgehut Foods Limited removes the hassle from the art of making potato chips

Before the Pandemic, if you asked Wanjiru, a marketing graduate, and certified public accountant, whether she would see herself doing what she does today, the most probable answer would have been an emphatic No. But Covid created a “new normal” which completely disrupted life as we knew it. For Wanjiru, Covid meant a complete halt to her previous business venture. “I had a restaurant in Upper Hill that shut down,” she reveals. The restaurant could no longer operate as the Ministry of Health had given an order for all outlets and eateries to close in an effort to curb the spread of the pandemic.

If you have enjoyed fried chicken at Chicken Inn or Galitos, chances are that the chips that accompanied them were from Wedgehut Foods as Simbisa Brands, the restaurant chain’s parent company is one of Wanjiru’s biggest clients. Simbisa together with Java House Africa forms part of the notable brands in WedgeHut Food’s restaurant chains category. The institution’s list includes various prestigious schools like Strathmore and Braeside alongside major hotels including Safari Park, Ole Sereni, and Crowne Plaza.

MAKING FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY A PRIORITY

Wanjiru’s biggest achievement is ensuring consistent adherence to quality and safety. “It has given us mileage, and that’s what has opened up business for us because when people come and do the vetting or the audits, we always consistently met expectations,” she says. In areas where improvement has been required, she notes that the company has always been open “to learn and evolve and adopt best processing practices.” To achieve this, Wanjiru, a marketer and certified public accountant by profession, has had a lot of learning to do. “It’s been quite a learning experience every day,” she says. “I didn’t know food is such a huge thing. How you do your processing, how you set up, is such a big deal!”

Courtesy of Food Business Africa – read full article here.