Photos of scrumptious looking pastries, cakes and snacks available from Carol’s Kitchen are posted to Facebook, along with testimonials from customers who appreciate being able to order authentic Guyanese dishes for shipping or pickup in North America.
The business was founded in August last year by former beauty queen Carol Ann Lynch, who currently lives in Canada. Owing to the pandemic, Lynch lost her job and was stuck at home. Cooking and baking had always been hobbies and so, like many people who were housebound, she filled her time doing just that.
Every now and then, she would post photos of her finished products on Facebook and was told that she should get into the catering business. After considering it for a bit, Lynch decided that if she was going work to sustain herself and her daughter, she might as well be doing something she loved.
Getting started took a bit of an effort as she did not know immediately where she could find the necessary ingredients, especially when it came to fresh produce. Getting the right kind of mangoes to make the sour (dip/sauce/chutney) that complements some of the snacks was one of the challenges. Another was procuring tamarind for tamarind balls. Once she was able to cross those hurdles by finding a West Indian store, she was all set.
Orders are shipped around Canada as well as to the US. Among the items shipped are Chicken Foot (Sal Sev), Mithai, Cheese Straws, Tamarind Balls, Black Cake, Cheese Rolls and Pine Tarts. She makes patties only for catered events because they contain meat and could spoil as shipping could take up to two weeks. She has also received requests from Guyanese living in Barbados, the UK, Sweden, and Italy. However, postage to and from Canada and these countries has been stopped for now, she said, because of the pandemic.
Asked whether she already knew to make all of the items that are available, Lynch said she did not, but learning was not too hard. For those who may be concerned about safe handling of the food, Lynch is certified by the Canadian government in safe food handling and smart serve. She is currently pursuing a culinary arts certificate from the George Brown College.
Lynch noted that when she first began, some people questioned what a former pageant queen would know about cooking, possibly owing to the stereotype that women who entered pageants were useless in the kitchen. Many have since changed their perception.
“This is how I make my living,” she said. “I’m what you call ‘the cook’. I’m always cooking. The more people I have to cook for, the happier I am. Most importantly, it feels good to bring authentic Guyanese dishes to persons here in North America who say they only get these dishes when they are in Guyana.”
She receives orders every day and customers do not mind waiting for their shipments or calls to pick up their orders. Many of them are repeat customers, Lynch said. Other orders, she noted, are usually for the weekend. During the last six months, she has been catering for small events hosted by Guyanese families. Her peak season was during the Christmas holidays when many people who were unable to return to Guyana for the season placed orders for black cakes.
At the time of this interview, Lynch was busy working on some new delights for Valentine’s Day. She intended offering them as samples when customers arrived for their orders. Among the Valentine’s Day specials were heart-shaped beef and chicken patties at discount prices as well as cupcakes and heart-shaped cakes.
Asked whether she would return to work if her job became available again, Lynch said she was not interested as she was doing what she loved. “I think this is definitely something I want to do for a long time. Every time I get a customer, I have a different experience. The feedback is always great; that’s what keeps me going,” she shared.
This is only the start of what she hopes for Carol’s Kitchen. Lynch plans on eventually having a semi-dine in/dine out restaurant but with COVID-19 still not controlled, she had no timeframe for this. However, once it gets underway, she plans on making her food available through Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes, two online restaurant ordering and food delivery services. For the time being, she does business via WhatsApp and Facebook.
Carol’s Kitchen can be reached on Facebook at Carol’s Kitchen – Toronto or WhatsApp at +1 289-600-4964.
