There’s plenty to crush on when it comes to Gbubemi Fregene AKA Chef Fregz! First off, the man can cook…and we arent just talking about jellof rice type of cooking, we mean the honey roast lamb, melt of the bone chicken kind of cooking. The kind of cooking that makes you speak foreign languages and unbuckle your belt without shame. Yup!
But there’s more to Chef Fregz than rosemary and thyme. In Nigeria today, its a fine art to run a successful business, much more an unconventional one like being a chef? How do you explain to African parents who have parted with good money to educate you that you’d like to cook for a living? Somehow Gbugbemi has managed achieve the unfathomable and that’s exactly why we are crushing on him today for having the drive and passion to take the road less traveled and succeeding at it, against all odds.
About Chef Frez: Born in abeokuta but raised in Benin city, Gbugbemi comes from what he describes as a very nuclear family: parents and one sibling. He graduated from Olashore International School in Iloko ijesha Osun state and is a Human Resource Management graduate from Covenant University who went on to the prestigious culinary institution – Le Cordon Bleu – in Paris. Gbugbemi interned and worked a little extra at a Jean-Georges Vongerichen restaurant Market where he was groomed by Jerome Toumlin.
On starting his business and raising finance
After NYSC, I came back from Kaduna, I just picked up my BBQ stand and told Mrs Yewande Zaccheaus of Eventful Ltd at the time that I did grills and finger food and after roasting 2 chickens and a making a salad for her. I started to count my coins from there. I think that cost 10,000 – delivery and all!
As business has gone on, between savings from my little humble beginning days of mai suya work and now that we do more bespoke dinners, endorsement fees from work with Knorr Nigeria, generous soft investments and loans from family and friends, I have been able to finance the business. However, it is never easy.
It always feels like it is never enough. A lot of money goes into updating your store, the presentation items we use from plates, cutlery etc. You also have to pay staff, even if all the money has gone into making sure the presentation of your food look amazing.
Running a kitchen you always have to have more than enough. You can’t eat money that really should be a well stocked store. At Chef Fregz we must always have olive oil by the gallons, cartons and cartons of spices like oregano and black pepper.
At the point, we had to move from my grandparents place to our own office after we had expended everything I had to seek assistance from family. Some were loans and some were “you have tried let’s invest (dash) in you”. But Christmas isn’t everyday.
As I answer this there is still so much the business is working at financing, especially with renovation of our space. We have just learnt to grow organically and pretty much cut our coat according to our size. We are 4 years old. It was not overnight.
On growing and expanding his business
’ll start off by saying that growth is painful but worth it. Growing the business has been such a journey. In the last year we realised that we had come into our own as an established brand. So we can do things like forecast, strategise and be more proactive to reaching out to our clients as opposed to hoping they would find us.
Chef Fregz started of as DVARD which was a grilling BBQ and finger only brand. We slowly ventured into doing food for people but kept it low at 20 people maximum. It progressed to us being able to cater for larger crowds, but not more than 50 people. We also started to specialise in bespoke private dinners. We did tailor-made menus to the specifications and desires of our clients. We also sold experiences to our clients not just food. The business kind of just ran with all that came its way. Suddenly we started doing work for major brands like Knorr, Kenwood and most recently Samsung. As of now Chef Fregz has grown to the point where we have our space and have product lines like our canapés, our private dinners, catering and consultation work.
On his inspiration
I would say people. Ehime of Sweet Kiwi I just respect her business drive. Doesn’t take No for an answer and she is very calculated. Kabir Shagaya of Speedy Logistics. He is such a mentor. My friend and Accountant Bimbo Bamigboye of Audeo Nigeria Advisory Services
Then there is just the sheer fact that man must wack. Whatever his name is…so everyday I am hustling.
Interview excerpts from Bellanaija.com
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