[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Being able to make money while doing what you love sounds like a dream doesn’t it? A lot of people scoff at this idea saying that it is impossible and only people who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths would be able to take this risk.
However, dreams can come true especially if you push for it and work extra hard, such as in the story of Melissa Ann Tan, 37, who runs a catering business!
Melissa is a mother of three boys. Before starting a family, her hobby was cooking and trying out new recipes or creating new dishes.
Melissa became determined to feed her family delicious home cooked meals that are packed with nutrition and from there, she realised that the community needed healthier food options too.
This was how Melissa started to spread her wings and went on a quest to revolutionise food to healthier options without compromising its delicious taste.
Today, her catering business is open to anyone who would like to enjoy healthy food. They include corporate clients, families and busy mothers. She shares more of her story with us…
1Twenty80: How long have you had this hobby?
Melissa Ann Tan: I started cooking on the stove when I was about 10, which was since I was tall enough to reach the stove!
1Twenty80: What got you interested in cooking?
Melissa: I enjoy cooking because it is both a science and an art. When I cook, I need to know why a certain step is necessary. After understanding that, I get to create more dishes. Additionally, when I serve my food, I’d like to ignite the five senses such as taking into consideration the flavour, smell, texture and presentation. If I’m hosting a get-together, I would also select appropriate music to go with the mood of the event.
1Twenty80: What was your background prior to pursuing your catering business?
Melissa: I was working for a Multi National Corporation when I won the Miss Universe Malaysia pageant in 2006. Afterwards, I hosted and appeared on some travel and lifestyle television programmes and was an event emcee for a few years, before going back to the corporate world to join an investment bank.
1Twenty80: When did you start your catering business?
Melissa: At the investment bank, I used to take my cakes and cookies to work to share, which led to orders for their family events and festive celebrations.
I always cooked for my own parties, and a family gathering would have an average of 60 people which gave me good practice. However, my first experience catering for big parties for others was after my son was born. I became a stay-at-home mother and was looking for some side income without having to leave the house for long. So, I took on the odd catering job for my friends’ house and office parties.
Then, in 2015 my housing committee wanted a new restaurant at the club house. Since I’ve always had this dream of having my own restaurant, I pitched for it, and within a month, Mel’s Kitchen was opened! Those months were extremely challenging as I was out of the house for 14 hours a day, and my youngest was then not even a year old then. After about 10 months, I realised that I had more catering jobs than restaurant patrons (as the restaurant was only open to residents) so I decided to bring the business home. That hands-on restaurant experience taught me so much about the business and developed my skills to become a chef.
1Twenty80: Why did you want to start a catering business?
Melissa: Besides my love for cooking and feeding people, I want to do my part for the food revolution and provide good food to as many people as possible. 
1Twenty80: What is your catering’s specialty?
Melissa: I would divide my catering into 3 categories:
Yummy and healthy
My priority at the moment is promoting yummy (delicious) and healthy food.
I prepare healthy school lunch boxes for kids on a daily basis. I send nutrient-dense snacks and lunches to kids at
a couple of schools right now. My customers are now mothers, but I’m hoping to reach out to schools to help cultivate healthier eating habits among children. Besides this, I make healthier versions of our traditional food – which I call ‘healthified’ meals. Examples of these dishes are my multigrain nasi lemak and cauli-rice bibimbap. My customers usually order these for office lunches or house parties. I even conduct classes on how to ‘healthify’ your meals and prepare healthier snacks.
Party food
The bulk of my business is party food. I don’t focus on a particular cuisine because I enjoy having that creative hand, but my focus is on good quality ingredients. That being said, I would say my specialties are Western and peranakan/Eurasian dishes. The bestsellers for buffet lines are pastas, roasts and curries, and for finger food, the burgers, pies, sausage bites and sandwiches are always a hit.
Frozen meals
When I was working with the bank, I noticed that there were so many mothers who were still at the office past 7pm, and I’ve always felt that I should do something to help working mothers put healthy food on their tables. Frozen meals are something I’ve been working on and hope to launch soon.
So, there you have it. How to have your cake and eat it too! We hope to have inspired you with Melissa’s story and show you that dreams do come true. The most important step is the first!
To contact Melissa and follow her cooking quests, check out her Instagram page (@melissaanntan).
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