Bookings hit boiling point for caterer

During December, Tauranga caterer Belinda Lombard had to politely pass on 15 jobs. She didn't like doing that but she was booked out solidly.
"I just couldn't physically do them," said Belinda, who has been running Lemongrass Catering Company for 2 years.
As a sole owner-operator - her accountant husband Pierre keeps the books - Belinda has worked tirelessly to create a successful mobile-catering business.
It has kept growing, even though she started during the recession, and Belinda now finds herself in a situation so often faced by ambitious small businesses. Does she expand, resulting in extra costs? Or should she consolidate?
Belinda, an experienced chef, does all the food preparation and cooking in her small commercial kitchen at home in Welcome Bay and on-site.
She can call on four part-time staff to help organise and serve at weddings and corporate functions.
"They all know what they are doing," she said. "While I'm cooking they run around and get everything organised."
Belinda says everyone wants to grow their own business. "I started in the recession at the worst possible time. Getting one job was fantastic and it's just carried on from there.
"We are now getting a lot of repeat business and have developed an excellent reputation. I don't have set menus. People want options and something different, and I'm good at theming - matching food to the occasion."
Lemongrass is booked for weddings every weekend through to March, and there are also corporate functions and private dinners to which she must attend.
"Anybody who has their own business works a lot harder than they originally thought," Belinda said.
"When I'm not cooking, there's menus to sort out and emails to answer.
"I love what I do. But I realise I am the business, and I'm not going to grow it by myself. The business needs 'another me'.
"I may have to take on a full-time person sooner than I thought. I can then step back and work on pushing the business forward," she said. Lemongrass entered November's Tauranga Business of the Year awards but didn't feature in the finals.
"The information given back by the judges was fantastic," Belinda said. She now has clearer goals. "We needed to put systems in place and have a business plan. It takes time to understand what I needed to do. I just wanted to cook."
As well as employing extra staff, Belinda is planning to build a larger commercial kitchen and become more involved with running cooking classes and selling gift baskets of homegrown treats.
The business plan extends five years. "When I started out, I didn't know how busy I would be - and maybe the changes [to the business] might be only a couple of years away," she said.
Born and bred in Tauranga, Belinda attended Otumoetai College - "my home ed teacher would be surprised I became a chef" - and was soon heading off on her big OE, intending to stay in England for two years.
She ended up living and working in The Spittal of Glenshee hotel in the Scottish Highlands for 15 years. "I worked front of house for two years and they let me into the kitchen and trained me up.
"I had some excellent chefs and I worked my way to the top."
For the last four years of her stay at The Spittal, she was head chef and managed three kitchen porters and four other chefs.
She also met her husband, Pierre, at the hotel and they returned to Tauranga more than four years ago.
South African-born Pierre started work as Tax Link manager at Mount Maunganui and Belinda absorbed herself in her new business. She couldn't wait to put her overseas experiences into practice.
"Travel broadens your mind about food," she said. "It makes you realise that food is not just meat, veg and potatoes."
Lemongrass has its little specialties such as Thai noodle salad, green pea and pear soup, and Jamaican chicken with coconut rice and red beans.
Her menus are personalised and the food is made by hand, using fresh ingredients. Lemongrass doesn't use any pre-made, frozen products. For buffets, the food is served in individual bamboo boats.
For weddings and private dinners, Belinda takes over the hosts' kitchen and cooks on-site. Last weekend she was catering for a wedding in Te Puna, and this weekend she will be in someone else's kitchen in Whangamata and Paengaroa.
Belinda will cater for events involving two to 200 people, providing three- to seven-course meals. But if it's just canapes/fork food for standing-only functions, she can cater for up to 450 people.
The numbers could become even bigger if Lemongrass decides to take the next critical step and expand the business.