She is one of the leading caterers in Lagos. She plays big in that business and she has been in it for years. That is why her catering business, Pisces, has become well known for offering good cuisines at parties. She turned 60 last week.
This stylish society woman who wears a low cut spoke to City People Publisher, Seye Kehinde last week about her catering business.
How do you feel turning 60?
I feel very great. I feel fulfilled. It has not been easy though, but I thank God for his mercies, over my life, over my children.
What are the lessons you have learnt over time?
Life has taught me that it is not as easy as you think. In my younger days, I used to see everybody has transparent, honest and sincere. But over the years I have come to learn that people are different and you should not trust everyone. I have learnt to be economical with friends. Before, I used to have so many friends. They have now taught me lessons I won’t forget. Now, I have learnt to cub myself and to be a little more discreet.
You have been in catering for years. How many years now?
I have been in catering business for over 30 years. I also do importation business. I do interior and some other little things. I have a shop in Lagos where I display my wears. I sell furniture. I seel accessories. The shop is at Alapere-Ketu.
At what point did you go into catering?
I got into catering by Gods divine plan. I wouldn’t say it was by mistake. It was what God wished for me but I wasn’t listening to myself. I used to sell jewelry, gold, but at a point, I had problems with it so I stopped. I lost about N500,000 worth of gold at that time. Thats about N50 million then. I was duped. Before this happened I used to cater for my friends free of charge. If you are having a party I will say okay. I will make Efo & Apon for you. I will make moin-moin for you. That was how I started catering.
As time went on, we were improving by the day. I was the first to serve Chinese at parties in Lagos. I could remember when Wasiu Ayinde was having his 50th birthday. At that time, we used to hire chefs from Golden Crown. They will make time to cook it for us and we would take it to the venue. At that time they don’t use to serve Chinese at parties. After that I started serving Tuwo and Amala on the spot. When Oba Latris father died, the Oloori called me and said, Iya Oko Mi what do you think will make a difference at our party. I said apart from the normal food we would cook, maybe we should come and make Tuwo and Amala at the venue. That was how we started. Its now very popular. Now I don’t do all those things on point again because there are people who do them. There are people who do just that alone. They do just Tuwo and Amala. Catering now has so many divisions.
Some people specialise only on Chinese. Some cook only assorted. Others make only Amala on point or Tuwo on point. On request I do make it.
I started catering business as a matter of hobby. In the past, 1 made food for free, for my friends who had one thing or the other to do. But as time went on people advised me to Commercialize it for money.
At first it was a hobby, later it turned out to a money generating business.
As a hobby, it started many, many years ago as a child. I used to make salad, apon, efo,
How did you learn how to do it?
I didn’t learn it, it came to me naturally. Since I started, God has been faithful.
What has kept you going all these years?
Patronage, basically. The frustrating thing is that a lot of our youths are not ready to work. I got tired of catering at some point because of this. There are no diligent workers any more people are not ready to work. It dampens your spirit in such a way that you just want to let go. Especially now that one is not doing it to feed from it. More especially now that you don’t have children in school to pay school fees. Or very urgent need or aggressive need for money.
My clients won’t let me be. They still keep on saying do this for me, don’t leave the business. That is what has kept us going.
Why did you call the business PISCES?
Pisces is basically the name of my Zodiac sign. I was born on the 28th of February. The name just came naturally. I have a construction company that I named Double TT coined from my name Tinu Thani (TT) my maiden name was Thani. My
What was growing up like?
I was born Lagos Island, Isale-Eko. But I lived all my life on Ikorodu road. My father built his house on Ikorodu road since 1969. Since then, we have been living there. That was when Ikorodu road was bush. Then, it was like travelling from Isale Eko to Ikorodu road. All my life I have lived in Lagos.
As a school cert learner, as an Awaiting Result person, I worked with Federal Audit for a few months, whilst I was waiting for my school Cert result.
I worked for 9 months to 1 year before I proceeded to University of Ife.
I did Theatre Arts, Scriptwriting to be precise. I did that just because I wanted to go to school. My father insisted I should go to school. My father wanted me to be a doctor but I didn’t do very well in my Sciences. I was to retake my papers, It was my friend, Maggie Roberts, (Bimbo Roberts Sister) was already in Ife. She was my next door neighbour. She lived in 169, I lived in 171. She said Time Come and obtain the form, they are writing
The was how I enrolled my self into the University. I did the course but I never worked with it.
When you came back what happened next?
I got married.
What are the range of services Pisces offers?
We do basically food. In the past, we did food and Smallchops. But when my son started his own company, we stopped. My company used to be called Sumptuously Yours, from Pieces Catering. So, when my son started his catering business, I gave him the Sumptuously Yours and retained Pieces. So, I stopped doing chops and concentrated on my food. We make food –Chinese, Continental and local.
We also do home service too.
When you look back at all the catering services you have rendered over the last few years how does it make you feel?
It makes me feel good because with catering you get to know a lot of people. With catering, it makes you feel happy when you have to feed a lot of people, especially people with different tastes and they recommend you by word of mouth to others.
They say she is very good and you feel very happy.
The only disturbing part of it is with the waiters and their inconsistency.
A lot of youth don’t want to work these days since the advent of Yahoo, yahoo.
They rarely don’t want to work. You take them for jobs and they misbehave. We are trying to find out how we setle that particular problem.
How do you take and see competition over the years? How do you cope with the fact that there are so many new people in catering?
Yes there is competition but you will still have your own customers, No matter what. There are people who won’t compromise no matter what. They just want you. We have some loyalists and we have some prestitutes who will like to try this and that and will still come back to you. They will go and come back. It’s a healthy competition.
No problem.
What sort of a person is Tinuke Alex-Oni?
As a typical Piscean, you cannot determine my mood. Sometimes I can be very hyper or cool. I have dual personality. Sometimes I can be very, very vibrant, and some times I will recoil into my shell and you will say, haa she hardly talks ooo!
(Laughs) A lot of people see me as a very very quiet person while others see me as not too quiet. It comes naturally. Its just my person.
It occured to me later in life that its just my person. That’s my zodiac sign.
How have you been able to keep and retain all your friends and customers over the years?
Its easy. I am a very free person. I joke with everybody, I don’t hold grudges I don’t quarrel unnecessarily. I am a very, very liberal and free minded.
Do you feel fulfilled?
Of course, Yes I do. When you have to train your children all by yourself and they dignify you by doing well, you will feel fulfilled.
How come you are still single?
I lost my husband over 15 years ago. Then I thought it was going to be the end of everything. My youngest child was 12 then, the oldest one was about 18, the oldest was just in year one in the University. And you can imagine the cost, having 3 children in Corona. Even a man cannot cope, not to talk of a woman. I was determined within myself that since all our children, (because my husband has other children, and they) all went through the same school I said mine won’t be different so I struggled to make sure they went through the same Corona and Grace High School in Gbagada, though it was not easy. What pushes me to do more is the brilliant performance of these my kids. Now, they are all adults. They have their masters and they have all done well. So I am very, very happy and fulfilled.
How come you have not re-married?
With 4 children, I just thought to myself what else again? If I marry for instance, will I go and live in many husbands house and leave my children behind in my late husbands house or I carry my children with me to my new husbands house? Or I will leave them behind and be shuttling. What will become of any children if I leave them unattended too?
If the person I am marrying has other children how will they relate with each other. I don’t want to inculcate bad values in my children. I have seen all sort happen. You need to be able to balance it out. So that you can percent the sibling rivalry issue.
So after it happened I decided to concentrate on my work and children. And it has paid off. Here I am now, a happy mother. That is what you need in your old age, though I am not old yet. I am just 57 years. I am not 60 yet. But at least, I am happy that I made that decision that. I didn’t allow anything to make me take my attention away from my children.
