What started as a desire to make meals at home a little less boring has turned into a mother-and-daughter condiment business.
That is how Lisi and Una's Homemade Recipes came to life.
Alisi Naigulevu, who has a table at the Garden City Market Day, says the idea started from simply wanting something different to go with everyday food, eventually leading her to make tamarind chutney.
Naigulevu says she used to buy tamarind chutney to encourage her family to eat rice and dhal on the one day of the week they had it.
Insert: Started with tamarind Sep 13
She now makes a range of condiments, including jams, cucumber relish, garlic mustard dip, sweet chilli sauce, tamarind chutney and pickles, while her daughter makes pies, cakes and lamingtons.
Naigulevu says after starting with tamarind chutney, they decided to explore other condiments.
A friend introduced them to a garlic mustard dip recipe, which they later modified to suit their own taste.
She says they enjoy being part of the Garden City Market Day because of the strong turnout and good business.
Naigulevu says the business has been running for three years, with sourcing ingredients remaining one of their biggest challenges.
She says they prefer using locally sourced ingredients for most of their products, although some ingredients have to be imported.
Naigulevu says support from family, friends and returning customers has been strong, with their spicy dip usually the first product to sell out.
She says they want to maintain the homemade touch of their products and are therefore not looking to venture into supermarkets at this stage.
Naigulevu says their products do not contain preservatives, and moving into supermarkets could require them to use preservatives, which they do not want to do for now.
She says their focus is on getting their products out there and is thankful that the Garden City Market Day has given them an opportunity to market their products and gain exposure.
When asked what advice she would give to people thinking about starting a business, Naigulevu says fear of the unknown often holds people back, but if you do not start, you will never know.
She says the journey has not always been easy, but seeing people enjoy their products makes it rewarding.
Naigulevu adds that if you have an idea, just go for it.
