As a child, I was always hesitant to take the first step – be it volunteering for a job or speaking to people and making friends. I was always struck by the thought that what if it doesn’t work out? But as I grew older, I realised that taking small steps makes it easier for you to take bigger steps and pursue your biggest dreams. Chef Suresh Pillai’s story is a reminder of that.
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Suresh Pillai is a popular chef and restaurateur. He has been working in London for the past 14 years and currently holds British citizenship. He returned to India to become a corporate chef and is now the culinary director of The Raviz at Kollum, Kerala.
One can say that he was a born businessman because ever since he was a child, he has been coming up with business opportunities to earn his own pocket money! He recently took to Twitter to share interesting stories from his childhood and young adulthood that led him to become what he is today.
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“I did my first-ever ‘business’ in class 6th or 7th. We had a big Kambili Moosu/ Kambili Naranga (Pomelo) tree at home, and that was a staple childhood fruit. I loved it to such an extent that I used to get up at 5 in the morning and pluck a couple of them, in time for breakfast. Soon, this grew from being just enjoyment to my first source of pocket money. Plucking in batches, I used to sell this at the market at 25 paise per piece – or 4/5 for a rupee. You could imagine my pride in showing off a couple of 1-rupee notes to my friends at that time!” he revealed.
He clearly remembers his childhood visits to Panakkattodil Devi Temple for festivals, which he turned into an earning opportunity too!
“My second stint at being a businessman was selling groundnuts for the temple festival – roasted, whole groundnuts, to be specific. Taking the government ferry to Kollam town, I bought about 2 to 3 kgs of raw groundnut, came back to the temple ground, roasted them in sand and sold them for a rupee. Not just that, I sat at very strategic locations near the fireworks, ganamela or the drama stage – to get more customers.”
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He grabbed every opportunity that came his way, even if it meant working as a waiter at a hotel or cleaning a temple eatery.
“In my late teens, I was a hotel waiter, a cleaner at a temple eatery, and a catering boy among other jobs before gradually I became whatever I am, today. Sometimes, it is okay to feel stuck and confused. It is okay to not know what to do. But keep trying, just start – the rest will fall into place by itself.”
He shared a picture of himself working as a waiter, which his friend sent him a couple of days back, refreshing his memories!
Have a look at his full tweet here:
This 18-year-old catering boy serving food at a random reception is the same Chef Pillai you know me as, today.
A friend of mine sent me this photo a few days back, and it took me back years.
When you have nothing, you have to start somewhere, right?
All my life, I’ve been a… pic.twitter.com/xjl4JLqcbg— suresh pillai (@chef_pillai) May 29, 2023
It was at the age of 17 that Suresh Pillai worked as a waiter at a restaurant named Chef King in Kollum. He assisted the chef as a part-time job and later started working in the kitchen to enhance his cooking skills. 3 years later, he moved to Calicut to work at the Casino Hotel. After 4 years of gaining experience, he shifted to Bangalore to work at Coconut Grove. After 6 years, he was promoted as the head chef. He then moved to the prestigious Leela Palace in Bangalore and then came London, where he went from being a sous-chef to the head chef at multiple places. He also participated in Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC Two.
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He is now the Culinary Director at The Raviz Hotel. He recently started his own restaurant branded ‘Restaurant Chef Pillai’ in Bangalore and Kochi.
What an inspiring journey he has had!