VALETTA Small has successfully launched her very own small business, Valetta’s Kitchen, from her home at Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, to escape having to work with others.
The 26-year-old reported that it is not always the best option to work for others, as it is often challenging. She opted to have her own small business, even if it meant doing it from her home.

As a mother of two, Small told Pepperpot Magazine that eight months ago, she took a leap of faith and invested in opening the business, as she was working in the fast-food industry and had grown tired of working for others.
She had been cooking for a long time and knew how to handle herself in the kitchen. Even if she had to do it by herself, it did not matter — gaining independence was something she craved, and it meant a lot to her.
Small stated that she learnt to cook from an early age, and used to watch intently as her mother prepared meals daily for the family.
She pointed out that even then, she knew she liked cooking, and the idea of making a business out of it wasn’t far from her thoughts.

The mother of two said that apart from her home-based food business, she is multi-talented and also works as a make-up artist and hairstylist who installs wigs.
Small revealed that in the near future, she is working towards having a food truck on the road for customers in the city and on the East Coast Demerara.
She added that a food truck in Plaisance is also on her agenda, as space is limited at her home for operating a food business, and with food trucks, she can provide stable employment to others.

With her creative mind, excellent cooking skills, and a simple motto —
“Craving something delicious? We’ve got juicy burgers, flavour-packed wings, and creamy milkshakes waiting for you” —
Valletta’s Kitchen is open daily, offering cinnamon rolls with toppings to choose from: caramel, blueberry glaze, chocolate chip cookie crumbs, strawberry glaze, and M&M’s, at $ 5 each.
Small has a breakfast menu featuring milkshakes, wings and fries, burgers and fries on weekends, and a daily breakfast treat box of mini-sized goodies available upon request.

Valetta’s Kitchen also has a lunch menu on weekends, and the treat boxes contain baked goodies such as cheesecake, dessert cups, pastries, waffles, pancakes, bacon, and fruits.
Small told Pepperpot Magazine that she would like to expand her small business, but she has to wait until she can put the necessary things in place to do so.
For now, it is just her, and she gets assistance from her mother. She is also considering creating new products to enhance her menu, introducing new flavours and specialities to her food business.

Small also wants to launch her own line of chicken wraps and introduce a variety of homemade sauces for her in-house wings special.
“I have a hard time working for others, and I used to work at a snackette that sold specially made treat boxes, so that is how the idea came to me and I launched my own small food business to earn independently,” she said.