[vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1602488691191{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css_animation=”slideInUp” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9706″ img_size=”500×500″ alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][vc_custom_heading text=”A BUDDING CHEF” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_custom_heading text=”WHO AIMS” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_custom_heading text=”FOR SUCCESS!” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][ultimate_fancytext strings_textspeed=”350″ strings_backspeed=”0″ fancytext_tag=”h3″ fancytext_strings=”By Ridzvaani Nagarajen” strings_font_style=”font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;” strings_font_size=”desktop:15px;” fancytext_color=”#ed1c24″ strings_font_family=”font_family:Montserrat|font_call:Montserrat|variant:regular”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1602492080055{padding-right: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;}”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”2em”][vc_column_text]They say, “Boys don’t cook!”, but Abbinash Santhanakrishnan, a budding chef proved all his bullies wrong. During his childhood days, Abbinash was made fun of for his passion towards cooking, but with the support from his mother and a burning desire to become a chef, he managed to pull himself through the negativity and landed himself with a business he’s most definitely proud of!
Plus, growing up in a conservative family, it wasn’t easy for Abbinash, as he was always criticised over his career choices. Yet, he stood and made it clear to himself that he did not require anyone’s approval to follow his dream.
We speak to Abbinash on his journey of becoming the person he is today![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1597027682459{margin-top: 3% !important;margin-bottom: 3% !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][ultimate_carousel slides_on_desk=”1″ slides_on_tabs=”1″ slides_on_mob=”1″ infinite_loop=”off” autoplay=”off” next_icon=”ultsl-arrow-right2″ prev_icon=”ultsl-arrow-left2″ dots_color=”#ed1c24″ adaptive_height=”on” centermode=”” item_space=”0″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9700″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602666916263{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_title=”Do let us know what inspired you to become a chef?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: Growing up, food has always fascinated me. I was about four or five years old when I first entered the kitchen, helping my mom to pound masala with a pestle and mortar. As time went by, helping my mom in the kitchen brought us closer. I still remember all the fun and memorable moments we had in the kitchen together while I was still young.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Could you tell us briefly about crumble and dough?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: Crumble and Dough is an online business for pastries, desserts and cakes. I’ve been running it through social media platforms for over a year now. Besides, I also provide private dining experiences where I present a fine dining experience to my clients at the comfort of their own home.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”What are your plans to diversify your business?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: I place my focus on providing value to my customers. I started off Crumble and Dough by selling cookies and brownies, but my long term vision was to be able to provide desserts and foods that are inspired and infused by various cuisines around the world.
With the foods that I prepare, I want my clients to have an unforgettable time of their life.
Also, as a chef, I do not want to limit myself by being just in the food and beverage industry. Social media has provided a huge platform for me to be able to meet people from other industries. I’m taking this as an opportunity to expand my horizon and I am looking forward to be able to collaborate with entrepreneurs from various industries to incorporate my culinary expertise with their work to create something revolutionary.[/info_list_item][/info_list][vc_custom_heading text=”“With the foods that i prepare, i want my clients to have an unforgettable time of their life.“” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_empty_space height=”2em”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9703″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667234358{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp” css_info_list=”.vc_custom_1602664985958{margin-top: 2em !important;margin-bottom: 2em !important;}”][info_list_item list_title=”How was it during the early days of your business?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: The initial stage of the business was really a rough sail. After completing my studies, I realised that I couldn’t afford to travel and pursue my dream job. So, I decided to start a business (Crumble and Dough) to save sufficient amounts of money in order to pursue my dream job.
I’m extremely grateful to my friends who have supported me through my toughest time by hiring me for all their private events and parties. Eventually, news about the desserts and food that I’ve prepared begin to spread by the word of mouth and I begin to get customers.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”What makes your business unique as compared to other businesses in the industry?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: I think the range of flavour combinations at Crumble and Dough says a lot about its uniqueness. I personally allocate some time away from my busy schedule and put a lot of effort in the Research and Development process. The complex flavours really piqued our customers’ curiosity, making them want to come back for more.
Besides that, not using artificial flavourings and colourings made Crumble and Dough distinctive from other businesses. All our desserts are naturally coloured and the flavours are extracted from real plants, fruits or flowers. As I mentioned previously, to me it isn’t only about the food I cater, but the whole experience itself is what makes it worthwhile![/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”What makes a chef’s job so challenging and how did you manage to overcome these challenges?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: Time is one of the biggest challenges in a chef’s life. With too much on his or her plates, a chef will need to learn to compromise everything they do with the amount of time they have. There’s always a constant battle between the need for consistently providing high quality execution as well as the need to maximise business volumes.
The only thing I do to manage my time, is that I plan everything beforehand. This way, I would have some extra time to spare in case some things didn’t go as planned.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”9697″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667248327{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_title=”As an entrepreneur, how do you ensure thAt you have a work-life balance?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: This has been a constant battle to me since day one of being a chef. When you’re an entrepreneur, especially one that is related to the food and beverage industry; your weekends
and holiday seasons are usually packed with orders; as it would be the peak of your business.
Skipping holidays, family gatherings, weddings and funerals to hump a shift on the line isn’t always appreciated by family, but your fellow chefs are considered to be your family too and that is what makes working as a chef so special. Despite everything, I do consciously ensure that I allocate sufficient time with my family and loved ones.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”How do you ensure that you stay healthy while managing your business?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: Honestly, it’s very exhausting and it definitely requires a lot of energy to run a business, but it is also essential for you to take care of your health. By hook or crook, I ensure that I get sufficient sleep and at the same time have a proper healthy meal while working.
Occasionally, I do take breaks from work and utilise it to either travel, seek for some delicious foods or just relax myself by reading a good book.
As much as physical health is important, I also give equal importance to my mental health. Running a business through social media can be stressful as I do receive a number of negative and toxic remarks. As much as I want to ignore them, it does affect me sometimes. At times like this, I ensure that I reach out to a close friend or family to vent out my feelings. I find it very helpful as I have a medium to express my feelings instead of bottling them up.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Words of wisdom to our readers who want to become an entrepreneur or chase the dreams?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Abbinash Santhanakrishnan: My achievements in this industry is certainly just a microscopic level. Though as a person who chases their dream, I’d say never stop losing hope!
It is certainly going to be a tough process, but always trust the process and be determined no matter what. Don’t forget that the learning never stops and always try to improvise and make yourself better in every possible way.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/ultimate_carousel][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1594189719583{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_text_separator title=”READ MORE” title_align=”separator_align_left” align=”align_right” color=”custom” border_width=”9″ accent_color=”#dd3333″ el_class=”read”][bs-grid-listing-1 columns=”3″ show_excerpt=”1″ title=”” icon=”” hide_title=”0″ heading_color=”” heading_style=”default” category=”14,29,13″ tag=”” count=”3″ post_ids=”” offset=”” featured_image=”0″ ignore_sticky_posts=”1″ author_ids=”” disable_duplicate=”0″ time_filter=”” order=”DESC” order_by=”date” _name_1=”” post_type=”” taxonomy=”” _name_2=”” cats-tags-condition=”and” cats-condition=”in” tags-condition=”in” tabs=”” tabs_cat_filter=”” tabs_tax_filter=”” tabs_content_type=”deferred” paginate=”none” pagination-show-label=”0″ pagination-slides-count=”3″ slider-animation-speed=”750″ slider-autoplay=”1″ slider-speed=”3000″ slider-control-dots=”off” slider-control-next-prev=”style-1″ ad-active=”0″ ad-after_each=”” ad-type=”” ad-banner=”none” ad-campaign=”none” ad-count=”” ad-columns=”1″ ad-orderby=”date” ad-order=”ASC” ad-align=”left” bs-show-desktop=”1″ bs-show-tablet=”1″ bs-show-phone=”1″ custom-css-class=”” custom-id=”” override-listing-settings=”0″ listing-settings=”” bs-text-color-scheme=”” css=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1594697216061{margin-bottom: -10% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:60|text_align:right|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”Out of” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594696759538{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”5 Stars” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594697016740{margin-top: -6px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1594780415864{margin-bottom: -10% !important;margin-left: -4% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:45|text_align:center|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594784592259{margin-bottom: -1% !important;}”][vc_column_text]
Out of
5 Stars
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