ANNIE Gilford is one of many women in No.5 Village, West Coast Berbice, who are self-employed and coincidentally, she is the ‘black pudding lady’ of that community and is noted for her culinary expertise in making the traditional local dish.

Gilford makes time to manage a restaurant which happens to be located on the public road, an ideal spot for the food business.

When the Pepperpot Magazine visited the community, she was as usual, busy in the kitchen tending to many pots on the stove as well as in the process of making black and white puddings for customers — a daily routine.

Gilford said she started in the cooking business about five years ago, but back then she had four employees and now she has two persons in her employ.As such, she is tasked with making the black and white puddings, an undertaking she has mastered over the years.

“It’s a simple process once you are organised and practice makes perfect, so it takes about half an hour for the black pudding to be prepared,” she said.

All the essentials for the black and white puddings are sourced from the butcher at No.4 Village, a short distance away.

Gilford said most of her time is spent in the kitchen making sure all dishes are ready in time for customers.

“We start selling from midday up until 14:00hrs and we have a wide array of dishes, including vegetables, cook-up rice, fried rice, chowmein, baked chicken, fried fish and fried chicken among other foods,” she said.

Gilford added that they also make roti, dhal puri, curry chicken and fish, plus salads and to go with the dishes.

She disclosed that her day-off is on Wednesdays, they do not open and on that day she would attend church and do whatever she has to.

Gilford said a roadside spot is good for business and it is the place customers stop to get black and white puddings every day at 14:00hrs; she tries to make it on time daily, regardless of what is happening in the kitchen.

“Being in the kitchen is time consuming, it is hard work, and the heat combined with the humid weather conditions, it is very hot at times and food preparation takes a lot of effort,” she said.