Celebrity chef Suresh Pillai shared a throwback photo of him working as a simple catering boy at an event to share his journey.
Updated Jun 1, 2023 | 08:20 AM IST
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Chef Suresh Pillai shared how he started his first-ever business in class 6 or 7
- His second stint as a businessman was selling roasted groundnuts for the Panakkattodil Devi Temple festival
- “In my late teens, I was a hotel waiter, a cleaner at a temple eatery, and a catering boy among other jobs before gradually I became whatever I am, today,” Chef Pillai said
Celebrity chef Suresh Pillai, who owns the restaurant chain named Restaurant Chef Pillai, shared a throwback photo of him working as a simple catering boy at an event to share his journey to success.
“This 18-year-old catering boy serving food at a random reception is the same Chef Pillai you know me as, today,” Pillai wrote on Twitter.
Pillai said that a friend sent him the photo that left him introspecting his journey.
“When you have nothing, you have to start somewhere, right? All my life, I’ve been a businessman – and that is something I’m proud of,” Pillai said.
He shared how he started his first-ever business in class 6 or 7.
“We had a big Kambili Moosu/ Kambili Naranga (Pomelo) tree at home, and that was a staple childhood fruit. I loved it to such an extent that I used to get up at 5 in the morning and pluck a couple of them, in time for breakfast,” he said.
Pillai continued, “Soon, this grew from being just enjoyment to my first source of pocket money. Plucking in batches, I used to sell this at the market at 25 paise per piece – or 4/5 for a rupee. You could imagine my pride in showing off a couple of 1-rupee notes to my friends at that time! Ah – those were the days!”
His second stint as a businessman was selling roasted groundnuts for the Panakkattodil Devi Temple festival.
“Taking the government ferry to Kollam town, I bought about 2 to 3 kgs of raw groundnut, came back to the temple ground, roasted them in sand and sold them for a rupee. Not just that, I sat at very strategic locations near the fireworks, ganamela or the drama stage – to get more customers,” Pillai recalled.
He added, “This thirst to do business, earn money and BE someone led me to take up more and more opportunities as they came by me – and in some cases, I made those opportunities myself. “
“In my late teens, I was a hotel waiter, a cleaner at a temple eatery, and a catering boy among other jobs before gradually I became whatever I am, today,” Chef Pillai said.
He concluded, “Sometimes, it is okay to feel stuck and confused. It is okay to not know what to do. But keep trying, just start – the rest will fall into place by itself.”
Netizens were inspired by Pillai’s journey. Here’s what they said:
Another added, “Rightly said by @chef_pillai Remembering our past is a very nostalgic moment. It takes us to a review point in our life. Thankyou Chef.”