One On One: Ayesha Ali Butt

Ayesha Ali Butt gets candid

Ayesha Ali Butt is a successful entrepreneur and a chef who started her online catering business Yeh Ghar Ka Hai; offering a broad range of great tasting and hearty desi foods. T.Edit gets talking to her about how she manages her business, her future plans and more



How did you turn your passion into a business — what’s your story?

Since I was born and raised and married into a Kashmiri family, food was in my blood.  Somehow, I always had this feeling that after my marriage I was going to cook for everyone at home. My mother in law, Zil-e-Huma, always wanted the typical kind of daughter-in-law. I started cooking for friends and family and got a lot of appreciation. So once these online food forums started, my husband started posting random pictures of my food. Then Nadia Jamil came to my place for brunch. We were connected on Twitter and through extended friends and family. She knew Ahmed Ali Butt, who is my brother in law. I made payyaas and all the other desi stuff. She was raving over the food and she took pictures and wrote a review of my food on the online forums and pages. People started calling my husband to ask if I had taken up cooking professionally. So, I received my first order because of something that started online. That was an achievement for me. The feeling is unexplainable. I was a one-man army doing everything myself. I have a small family so I have never had a servant. It has been three years now since I started YGKH.



Completing catering orders takes a lot of work; what’s your typical meal for the day?

Mostly people go for authentic desi food which is not being served in any of the top notch restaurants of Lahore.

Owning your own company isn’t always easy, it’s actually more “blood, sweat, and tears”; what are your biggest challenges as a business owner and how do you overcome them?

Many times, people have tried to pull me down. I don’t get it. What is it? I feel that people try to pull me down because of my appearance. They feel insecure. This kind of negativity is bad. On the other hand, men don’t have respect for working women. They treat me exactly like they would treat their kitchen boys. Just to clarify, YGKH is not my bread and butter, it is something I do out of passion for food and cooking. There are many hurdles and at times I just want to quit. But why should I leave my passion behind because of others?

In your opinion what differentiates Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad in terms of taste and food choice?

I would say, Karachi has a lot of mix/diverse cultures as compared to Lahore as it has a fusion of different tastes. That gives Karachi a huge advantage. In my opinion, Lahore is much more conservative and we still rely mainly on authentic recipes.



What is the secret behind sustaining a good food catering company?

In case of YGKH, customisation is surely our strength and ensures top quality products.

Any plans of opening a restaurant or café in the near future?

I have always wanted to open up a small restaurant, a place that will go with the name, Yeh Ghar Ka Hai. It has to be related to the name. I want my customers to feel the same comfort they have in their own home. For that, I need some time, because I am the only woman of the house.  I have children and my husband to take care of. I want to take it slow and easy. But for now, I am expanding my kitchen. People are approaching me with their brands and they want me to use their brand in my videos. Slow and steady wins the race, so let’s see.

What continues to motivate or inspire you in coming up with new dishes?

The love and respect I get from my fellow foodies.

What’s your specialty and your favourite food item?

YGKH is famous for its Hareesa which is the main seller when we have a stall set up in food festivals. Therefore it is also one of my favourite food items.



What’s your favourite quote or mantra you can’t live without?

Khana recipe sai nahi, dil sai banta hai.

Who or what gives you the most inspiration?

My (late) mother, who is my mentor, my inspiration.

Tell us about your family. Do they enjoy your meals?

Haha that’s a tough question. My eldest son is a harsh critic and he barely enjoys what I make whereas my youngest simply loves all kinds of pasta I make for him.