How a determined woman overcame adversity to build a thriving business

VANESSA KLASS SINGH’S journey into the food industry was not one of privilege but of perseverance. Born into humble beginnings, she grew up learning the value of hard work—selling goods to afford school supplies and later dropping out of school to support her family. Vanessa rose through the ranks of restaurant work, going from washing wares at Salt and Pepper to managing one of Guyana’s best-known Creole food spots.

But when she decided to venture out on her own in 2005, she faced relentless challenges—bureaucratic hurdles, gender biases, and the daunting reality of running a business as a young mother. Yet, through it all, Vanessa continued working towards her vision, building a brand known for consistently good, old-fashioned Creole food.

Vanessa was no stranger to challenges and what it took to overcome them. Raised by a hardworking single mother, she learned the value of perseverance from an early age.
“My mother was single. And because of our situation, living in poverty, I had to drop out of school and start work,” she shared. Though education was important, survival came first. From her teenage years, Vanessa took on responsibilities to help her family, selling goods and taking odd jobs just to make ends meet. Despite these hardships, she always had dreams of doing something bigger. Her mother, who found joy in cooking, influenced her in ways she didn’t realise at the time.

“To tell you how I got into the food business, I can’t really recall a specific moment. But what I remember is that my mom loves to cook. Country people love to cook. And I think that rubbed off on me,” she said. At 16, Vanessa entered the food industry, landing what she considered her first real job at Salt and Pepper.

“I applied there, at Salt and Pepper. I remember when I went for the job. They didn’t want to hire me at first because I was underage. But I could have worked,” she recalled. Starting as a dishwasher, she quickly impressed her employers with her determination and work ethic. Within six months, she had moved up from washing wares to serving customers.

“I didn’t know that they were watching me, and they moved me up within six months,” she said. Vanessa was committed to restaurant work, often filling multiple roles and working long hours. “I would go in there for six hours a day. If they had a shortage of staff, I would go there, work, still go home, and then come back for my six o’clock shift the next day,” she said.

Her natural ambition and love for learning led her to further her education after becoming a mother. “After my daughter came, they wanted me to go back to school. I went back and educated myself. I did some LCC courses. I did my CXC,” she shared. Though she built strong relationships along the way, she knew that working for someone else had its limits. Ultimately, her dream was to open a business of her own. “Theory is one thing; but practical is very important. Seeing the actual work and understanding how the operation runs are two different things,” she said.
With these experiences under her belt, Vanessa took the leap into entrepreneurship in 2005. “I actually started this whole business with a baby by my side,” she recalled. While many doubted her, she never let fear hold her back. “Anything I do, I don’t think about failure. I always think about making it,” she said.

Starting a business came with its fair share of obstacles, but being a woman in a male-dominated industry made things even more difficult. Vanessa quickly learned that resilience was necessary for survival. “Public health came in for me. They were threatening me, and I wasn’t taking the threats,” she said, describing the bureaucratic challenges she faced. Standing her ground was essential.

“As a female, you got to stand your ground on certain things. If you only make yourself grass, they are going to eat you,” she said. Her husband, Ken Singh, was always supportive and played a major role in the growth of Hot and Spicy. Despite following the rules, Vanessa encountered repeated shutdowns. “We closed. We got our relevant papers. My husband got involved. We opened again. A couple of weeks after, closed again. But eventually, we got everything in place, and we opened and stayed open.”

With financial responsibilities mounting and a family to support, she fought through the difficulties. “We opened back again. He left me again. He was working. I was trying. We have a kid. We have bills to pay,” she said. Through it all, Vanessa remained steadfast. Her biggest motivation during this time, she said, was the people around her, especially those who believed in her vision.”I had some very good people around me; some ex-staff before they came on board.”

From humble beginnings to a thriving restaurant and event halls, her journey has been anything but easy. But what has made the journey worthwhile, Vanessa says, is the people who have supported her business for the past 20 years. To show appreciation, Vanessa and Hot and Spicy have launched a promotion. With every $3,000 spent, customers get a coupon. Drawings for this promotion are slated to start as early as October.

Vanessa’s story is not just one of success but of grit, sacrifice, and unwavering belief in oneself. As she continues to grow her business, she remains an inspiration to women who dare to dream beyond their circumstances—showing them that no matter where they start, success is always possible with hard work, a good mindset, and the determination to never give up.