Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Food enthusiast Aysha Al Araifi is leaving her corporate days behind her as she is whisked away on a new adventure, becoming the boss of her own kitchen.
The 26-year-old from Riffa has always had a passion for cooking and baking ever since she was a teenager. She would tell herself that one day, when she was all grown up; she would be making her own cookies rather than relying on a ready-mix powder.
Aysha said: “I’ve always had an immense passion for cooking and getting creative in the kitchen. Ever since I was around 15 I started baking cookies, thinking one day, when I grow up, I will make them from scratch.
“Then I started off by creating funky-looking ones with veggies for my friends on our movie nights. Sometimes I would even invite them to the kitchen as part of our evening plans and we just messed around.
“When I got into college I really took it to another level and dared myself to make things from fresh ingredients, no more store-bought sauces, no more cake mixes – no, this time, I’m going to do it all myself.”
After years of experimenting and cultivating her culinary skills, Aysha took a chance last November by starting Bossy Kitchen, a home-based catering business named, she says, after her own personality.
She said: “I have worked at plenty of jobs in the public relations and financial sector. However, I decided that I wanted to pursue my dreams while I’m still young enough and establish something solid that I can nurture and develop over time.
“In the kitchen I’m a whole different person. I become a focused and bossy person that demands a good dish to be made. When I cook, I get creative and messy. When I bake, I’m focused and strict. With every dish, comes along a different personality that’s transformed based on what’s been orchestrated in the kitchen.
“Every dish is carefully designed to have more than three colours, different textures and a whole lot more kick than your average meals. Healthy foods shouldn’t be boring and Bossy Kitchen is dedicated to making the dishes yummy and guilt-free at the same time. I don’t want my customers to worry about how long they need to spend in the gym burning off the meal they just had.”
Aysha was keen on introducing new flavours and recipes to Bahrain’s hospitality sector and thought that Market 338 would be perfect for her to do that.
She said: “What better way to do that than by having a pop-up stall in the middle of Adliya – Bahrain’s main food district, for two weeks!
“After my experience with it, having to work at a bank from 8am to 4pm then running my pop-up stall at the market from 5pm to 9pm, I decided to quit my full-time job and give my dream a chance.”
Aysha was soon cooking up a storm at home, taking on different orders from family, friends and taking requests via @bossykitchen on social networking site, Instagram.
The positive feedback and raving food reviews from customers was a clear sign to kick-start her dream of one day owning her own restaurant in Adliya. As she begins the hunt for a convenient and inviting location, Aysha continues to offer hot yummy treats to her followers.
She said: “To all my loyal customers and future devotees, expect to have your taste buds ignited through combinations of flavours that are unimaginable. What I have on the market now is nothing compared to what I’m going to introduce in my upcoming café/restaurant.”
Aysha, happily married to tennis ace Mohammed Al Khalifa, also urges entrepreneurs to never give up on their dreams. She said: “Don’t be afraid to take a huge career risk, the little time left we have in this world is worth a lot so we should spend it wisely and happily by making our dreams come true.
“Take that first little scary step and everything else will follow with ease if you put your mind, heart, time and dedication into it. Local businesses will always be heavily supported; Bahrain is definitely ready for some new ideas to spark up.”
For orders, call or whatsapp 33397433 or email bossykitchen@gmail.com 24-hours in advance before 5pm.
