Mirriam Wacera Maingi, popularly known as Mirriam Allan is the founder of Asili Eateries, a thriving catering business.
Allan is her father’s name, she explained that she adopted the name as a tribute to the old man whom she termed an exemplary parent.
Mirriam’s passion for food dates back to her days in school when she would post excellent performances in her home science tests.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Mirriam was born and bred in Murang’a County.
In an interview with The Weekly Review, she detailed that she discovered her passion for food while young and excelled in home science during her time at St Catherine Gaturi Girls’.
Her teacher, Martha Kigoi, would call her to cook for the school’s board of management and parent-teacher association during meetings.
After completing high school in 2002, Mirriam enrolled for a diploma in catering and hotel management at Wote College in 2006.
However, her education was cut short after she got pregnant. She ended up getting married to the father of her child but their union ended up crumbling down a while later.
Entrepreneurship
Mirriam established Asili Eateries in 2021 after losing her job at a restaurant.
With a friend who had also lost her job, they collaborated and started selling ready-made meals within Nairobi.
However, the business was not gaining traction forcing her to go solo and establish her own venture, Asili Eateries.
Starting off was challenging since she worked in a small kitchen studio, forcing her to sell uji power, a local porridge, to supplement her income.
A year later, she moved to a new location along Thika Superhighway, registered the business officially and obtained a food handler’s certificate.
Mirriam started selling African cuisines and today, the business has employed two permanent chefs. She also offers outdoor catering and cooking lessons.
On a regular day, she manages various tasks including taking orders, sourcing for ingredients, preparing meals and doing deliveries.
The meals are packed in disposable tins, and deliveries are done with the help of four riders.
“I take immense pride in preparing food that I would personally be delighted to purchase. Coming from the Central region, where the prevailing stereotype suggests that we drown dishes in water, I question the need for such practices,” Mirriam explained.
This story was originally written by Moses Auma and published in The Weekly Review, Issue 36.
