Proper nutrition is vital to good health. Nevertheless, many do not implement this due to reasons like —

“ No money.”
“ No time.”
“ No energy.”

A well-balanced, nourishing diet is perceived to be expensive, time-consuming in preparation, and takes effort to maintain.

That’s where Ed’s Recipe steps in by providing:

• An unbelievably affordable menu
• Delivery service *
• Nutritious yet incredibly delicious meals full of flavour

With more orders pouring in every day and a steadily increasing number of customers, these guys look like they’ve got the ingredients for success. ToughAsia talks to Edwin, Alvin, and Yuegene, the three enterprising young individuals behind Ed’s Recipe.

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What is Ed’s Recipe?

A catering service that provides healthy, nutritious, and delicious meals to the public for a very reasonable price. We deliver within Subang and Sunway and will soon be including the areas of Petaling Jaya, Damansara, and Puchong.

What gave you the idea of starting this up?

We’re all involved in the fitness industry – Edwin owns a Mixed Martial Arts gym, Alvin is a yoga instructor, and Yuegene is a personal trainer. We noticed that they require one essential thing to support a healthy lifestyle : good nutrition. However, most of them are busy and consistently on the go which spares them little time or energy ; that’s how the idea for Ed’s Recipe came about.

How do you define yourselves as ‘healthy’?

We don’t have any artificial flavourings or weird additives in our meals. We only use olive oil and all our seasonings consist of natural ingredients such as sea salt, lemon juice, pepper, herbs, spices. We use Stevia for sweetness instead of sugar. Lean meats like salmon, chicken breast, sirloin steak, chicken chop, and colourful vegies are the main focus of every meal we prepare.

What was the beginning like?

Lots of trial and error. We first started off with one small BBQ pit. We would wake up at 5am every morning and take more than an hour just to get the fire started with charcoal blocks and matchsticks! Then we’d spend more than two hours cooking. We did lots of experimenting and testing with the ingredients and recipes in order to get the best flavour and texture. It was really difficult, but necessary in order to improve and keep our customers happy.

Initially it was only among our family and friends. We never did any real marketing or advertised ourselves except through social media and word of mouth. However, more and more people heard about us, tried our food, and they loved it! Demand kept growing and here we are today with close to a thousand satisfied customers.

Describe your clientele.

They actually consist of quite a varied group. There are 16-year olds who are already going to the gym and concerned about their diet, so we in fact even deliver to secondary schools during recess time! A large portion of our customers are from the college / university group, so we make daily dropoffs around the Subang and Sunway area.

We have parents who want their families to eat healthy, those looking to lose weight, others who are into gaining muscle, and the general public who have heard of us and are curious to see if they can really have nutritious meals that are reasonably priced and taste good at the same time.

>Do you cater large scale / long term?

Yes, we’ve previously worked with corporations who hold events to educate employees on the importance of health and a good diet. Plus we get bulk orders from gyms around Subang and Sunway.

We also have some customers who place orders with us for two weeks or a month. We deliver fresh and free of charge to them every day. *

Why do you think people keep returning to Ed’s Recipe?

We’re more than just a bunch of guys who cook and drop off food. Some people tell us their diet plans and what they want to achieve, which we are able to evaluate and assist with due to our own background knowledge in fitness and nutrition. We are able to provide dietary information like calories available and macronutrient count. Besides that, we work with different suggestions and amendments requested.

How do I place my order and make payment?

We get our orders through Facebook, Whatsapp, or calls. Payment is made on delivery, but if it’s a bulk order we would need an advance payment upfront.

How would you measure your success?

Financial gains – when we see the money coming in! (Laughs.) Well, that is the practical side of any business. However, we feel incredibly glad and touched when customers tell us how we have been a huge support in helping them reach their ideals. Some of them post up before / after pictures and acknowledge our role in their success. Others say that they simply enjoy eating the food we have prepared because it tastes great and they know that it is good nourishment for their body.

What major mistakes or challenges have you encountered?

To be honest, we have yet to screw up badly. Initially we had some inconsistency with timeliness of delivery and stock-keeping. That was just in the beginning – things now are going pretty smoothly and operations are running well.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?

Embrace your goal and put everything you have into achieving it. Never give up – no matter how many obstacles you face or how many times you fail.

Surround yourselves with those who are passionate and believe in you.

Dare to fail. Dare to learn. Dare to grow.

Ed’s Recipe – Information and Details

• Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Edsrecipe
• Instagram : http://instagram.com/edsrecipe
• Email : edsrecipe@gmail.com
• Whatsapp : 017- 397 2871

* Delivery T&C (only for Subang and Sunway at the moment) :

• FOC to your doorstep with minimum order of 3 orders / Rm1.50 surplus charge with purchase of less then 3 orders.
  

• FOC to colleges and universities within Subang and Sunway area

Article by Cheryl Moy
cherished-me@hotmail.com