JEDDAH, 30 September 2006 — For those people tired of having fast food, Saudi housewives are joining the Ramadan rush by selling quality prepared home cooked meals at extremely reasonable prices. All across Jeddah, women are advertising their cooking expertise by word-of-mouth, which is gaining popularity.
Housewives of middle-income families and female university students are joining the competition to sell food and taking advantage of the month to attract as many people as possible.
According to housewives, Ramadan, Eid and other family occasions are times when home cooked cooked meals are in exceptionally high demand.
Unofficial statistics show people spend approximately SR140 million in the month of Ramadan on buying cooked food. To meet the growing demand, the number of women turning their kitchens into businesses to sell food has increased in the last two years in Jeddah.
The phenomenon can be gauged simply by the number of signs that women leave around in supermarkets and on lampposts advertising the different delicacies they cook.
Arab News met some housewives who explained that cooking was an easy way to earn some extra cash. Many of these women reinvest their profits into cooking more food and ultimately make more money.
“I initially spent SR5,000 on purchasing foodstuff to start the business. The costs increase when we get the maids to help us prepare food. Maids are important especially when the business begins to grow,” said one housewife whose business is thriving.
Many housewives say that the main problem they face is in marketing their fresh food items. “Some shops charge huge amounts of money to display food. Another problem is with advertising. The main way to advertise food is by word-of-mouth. Most of the customers are regulars and the ones that are new have usually learned from other people,” said Um Fatima. Um Muhammad, a housewife and mother of five, said, “Preparing food depends on the demands of customers. Some Ramadan recipes take more than seven hours to prepare. We usually start cooking after 12 noon so we are able to deliver by 5 p.m.”
She added, “I decided to get in this line of business to generate another source of income to help meet house expenses. I have to earn money to pay for my kids’ education and meet their daily needs. The business is increasing and I am looking for help to keep up with the increase in demand.”
According to many housewives, daughters who are studying at college and university help in the kitchen to prepare meals for sale.
The main challenge that many housewives face are restaurants that are able to cook en masse in a short time using the latest technology. Housewives rely on their cooking experience and expertise to meet the stiff competition from well-established restaurants.
Meanwhile, the Jeddah Municipality is providing rented kiosks for Saudi women to sell food in downtown Jeddah. The municipality has already issued more than 400 permits for the month of Ramadan.
