Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Oonagh Williams, founder of Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh, located in Merrimack, NH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have celiac disease and a culinary arts degree, so I both know food and deal with celiac disease and other food allergies on a daily basis. All while was cooking real food and ingredients easily available in stores. People are so used to taking out or preparing foods that the pandemic made them realize many things. They had stopped cooking regularly and wanted to understand exactly what was in all the prepared foods.
People still want to eat the foods they ate before a food allergy diagnosis. I wrote a monthly food column for Beyond Celiac, formerly National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, for ten years. Then non-COVID emergency surgery last summer required me to take some time to heal. My recipes always included something sweet each month, from everyday to fancy as well as savory dishes, salads, and soups. Always gluten-free, dairy-free if possible, soy-free, with brands quoted to make life and shopping easier.
Tell us about yourself
I have a Culinary Arts degree and trained in London and Switzerland. I'm British but living in New Hampshire. Prior to celiac disease, I catered dinner parties, bridal showers and taught private and public International food cooking classes. People love my English accent – similar to Julie Andrews, not Jamie Oliver, and my stories from the 28 countries that I've visited. So I've actually tasted many dishes I want to replicate.
My son was diagnosed with celiac disease over ten years ago. With a mother's guilt trip, I switched to totally gluten-free in our home. I always say on my featured chef appearances on NH's ABC WMUR Cook's Corner that most real food is naturally gluten-free and free of many other allergens. It's only really baking that needs to be recreated.
I was also diagnosed with celiac disease, so I speak and write on food for gluten-free and other food allergies. I have a cousin that my husband calls 'everything free' as doctors thought she had 40 food allergies, but 'only' 20, in fact. For my son and my cousin, I have to be able to make delicious food that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, yeast-free, and many other 'frees.' I am told my gluten-free tastes better than most dishes that contain wheat.
Far too many commercial food products are full of unpronounceable ingredients that our bodies don't want and don't need. We would all be healthier if we went back to real food, with less preservatives, less chemicals, etc. So many people know my gluten-free food is still 'real' food, so I (prior to COVID) still did dinner parties, girl's night out parties, cooking classes, and public demos. I've spoken at conferences and to corporate on gluten-free diets and the Power of Food, including GMO, trans fats, how much sugar is too much sugar, dirty dozen, clean fifteen. These are slowly starting again as the country opens up.
Separate from food. I also give presentations with vibrant photos of my travels in Lithuania, where I studied, and South Africa. Prior to COVID, these included a food demo or buffet of dishes.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Seeing the joy in someone's face when they eat something delicious that they haven't eaten since a diagnosis and knowing that they can safely eat this dish. When I speak and teach, I like to see the light bulb go off on someone's face when I say something they didn't know or hadn't thought about. I'm trusted, as they know from seeing me on NH's ABC WMUR, hearing me speak publicly, or reading my recipes/articles, that I 'tell the truth and shame the devil,' as we say in England.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The many hats you need to wear, chief cook and bottle washer, accountant, marketing expert, etc., while still having a life.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build your business while still being employed.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help, advice, or shared opinions.
- If something looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
With COVID and still now, I have mainly kept in contact through my personal Facebook page, 'Oonagh Williams,' which Facebook shows as gluten-free cooking with Oonagh. So many find that easier than a business page, web page site, Linked In, etc.
• Know your subject
• Be prepared for people to disagree with your knowledge/opinions; there will always be negative people who like to drag you down.
• Know your own worth and keep learning.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://glutenfreecookingwithoonagh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glutenfreecookingwithoonagh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oonaghsnogluten
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/OonaghWilliams/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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