Meet the beauty and brain behind the FIRST Made in Nigeria Cake Mix - KOKOS KITCHEN....

By Kemi Mobuse - Thursday, November 09, 2017

I love Cake...as in; I over love it and because of that; I love to do birthdays countdowns....I just tend to forget the hefty calories in it, for that day....Instead;I pull up a chair, plate in hands, fork at the ready, looking anxiously to the moment, the cake will land on my plate....Forget that, I'm not the celebrant, no one kuku made a rule concerning who gets to eat the most cake..... and me, I no send.😛😛😛

I remember one of those days, Mummy decided to use my love for cake to get me to do the household chores...She just asked me, "Kemi, do you want that cake in the fridge? I nodded so hard, my head nearly fell off...she continued...Ok, no problem, quickly go and sweep the orchard, and come back for it...off to the orchard I ran...On getting there, I nearly fainted, at seeing the amount of leaves on the ground....but, on remembering my precious cake, I swept everything so thoroughly, you could lie down there and sleep off....Once done, with my back aching, I went to ask for my cake..mama suddenly remembered, the plates were unwashed, the gutter is dirty and school uniforms were unironed! my Dears, I did them all ohhhh, just for my precious cake..Foolish girl! 😠😠😠..

Thanks to Kokos Kitchen new creation...Cake Mix...I don't need to wait for birthdays before I eat Cake, I can have my cakes made quickly and easily with their cake Mix , same goes for pancake, not only is it fast but it's also less messy.

Kokos Kitchen is run by two beautiful Ladies, Sifa and Tosin, and their interview with KMB enlightens us about their brand and creations.....read below....

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Who is Kokoskitchen? How did you come up with the name?

Kokos Kitchen: Koko's Kitchen is about home and hearth. This connotes warmth that comes from home...the kitchen in this case, if you will. It's about food, comfort and convenience. It’s about family and closeness.

The name came about as a result of honouring my late Dad, Dr Roger Asani, who was fondly known as 'KoKo' to his grandkids. Tosin graciously agreed to use this moniker to name the brand.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Nice one!

Kemi Mobuse Blog: How did Koko Kitchen end up being run by two amazing ladies? Are you related?

Kokos Kitchen: We are not related. Tosin and my sisters shared a flat in South Africa when they were in school. They've known each other a while. I met Tosin when I went to visit in 2011 and 2012. Then, when my Dad passed away and my sisters were with me in Jos, she came over for a weekend to visit and commiserate. We got to talking and she has the business and financial acumen while I have the 'cake stuff'. From there, we decided to give it a go!

Kemi Mobuse Blog: How many employees do you now have at koksoskitchen and how has that changed the business?

Kokos Kitchen: We are still running at minimal capacity with about 4 staff. We have days where we produce the entire day and free days

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Did you attend a culinary school at any point in your career?

Kokos Kitchen: No Ma'am!!! I just learned from my Mum at a young age and then took it from there.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: At what point in your life did you decide to become a pastry chef/baker? What influenced you to do so?

Kokos Kitchen: I always baked from a young age: 11, actually. I never thought about doing it officially until my second child was born, in 2010. In 2011 I quit my job as a teacher and began to bake and decorate from home. I'd say my Mum influenced me from a young age in baking and in decorating it was Mrs Comfort Gowon, a relation, who was a greatly respected decorator in Abuja until she went into semi-retirement.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Your Pancake flour mixture, how did you come up with the inspiration to create such?

Kokos Kitchen: I usually take the basic recipes I have always used and deconstruct them. I separate the dry from the wet ingredients and 'create the flavours and balance the mixtures. It’s a lot of trial and error until I get the perfect mixture usually. So far we've done 4 but maybe there would be more in the future.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: What places, people, or cities influence your baking and new product ideas most?

Kokos Kitchen: I can't really say places influence product ideas...These mixes usually come based on my experience with customers on what they like and also on what is available. We go mostly with the trend in taste as well as basic favourites: ergo our vanilla, chocolate and red velvet cakes which are usually cake staples any and everywhere.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: In your opinion, what innovation has recently influenced the baking industry in a significant way and how might that change the way you think about creating new pastries or cakes in the future?

Kokos Kitchen: I think that newer ingredients and methods of preserving foods have really changed the industry. People want food that lasts longer with the same great taste and texture rather than the harsher chemicals used in the past. Also, there is a great shift towards organic food and preservative-free food and some are willing to forego the long shelf life for healthier alternatives. Finally, with more and more people traveling and experiencing other cultures there has been a fusion of flavours from all over the world into otherwise 'ordinary' pastries. People are more adventurous and willing to try new tastes and textures. This will affect the way pastries are created in the future in my opinion.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: What is your favorite pastry to prepare at home as opposed to what you may make at Koko's kitchen?

Kokos Kitchen: I like to make Swiss rolls nowadays. I always failed with them until this year, when I FINALLY got it right! I also love making pies.

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Besides pastry, what other passions do you have?

Kokos Kitchen: My other passions include writing (screenplays and love stories).

Kemi Mobuse Blog: If you could give a word of advice to an aspiring baker or pastry chef, what would you say?

Kokos Kitchen: I'd advise other bakers to just keep practicing and to learn to adjust recipes for their climate, culture and learn to substitute specialty ingredients. Be adventurous and try tweaking recipes!

Kemi Mobuse Blog: Lastly, how can you be contacted?

Kokos Kitchen: On Instagram (@kokoskitchenng)

Facebook (KoKo's Kitchen NG).

Every now and then you can catch us on 07036150173.

Check out our products on: www.jumia.com.ng/kokos-kitchen/