Porridge Making Business that Can Earn You Sh 60,000 per Month
It is very rare to find food kiosks or someone hawking porridge in town as compared to tea business which very popular. This is because selling porridge is regarded by many as a business that is socially out of the norm but which can see you walk home with up to Sh.60,000 a month if done well.
The Traditional fermented porridge has recently gained popularity among consumers, with some entrepreneurs now tightening their belts to collect cash from the business.
The porridge is usually made from ground millet or maize, with vendors now introducing Uji power, which is usually made from cassava, groundnuts, and pumpkins, making it more nutritious.
While the process is tedious, those who venture into this business are making crazy money. If done well, this business can make you over Ksh.60,000 per month.
The business does not require a lot of capital to start. At Sh.20,000, you can lead a thriving venture. You can keep on expanding as the business grows.
Some joints serving the dish along Nairobi’s Ronald Ngala Street have attested to its profitability. The area has become a must-go for city men and women as early as 7 a.m.
The porridge is served in artificial calabashes, adding that traditional feel. A well-shaken calabash of Uji Power costs Sh.50, with some joints in Nairobi selling the same amount at between Sh.100 and Sh.200.
Some of the common ingredients used in preparing the uji include arrowroots, groundnuts (or peanut butter), milk, sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkin seed powder, honey or sugar, and milk, making it highly nutritious.
“Most people who come here have underlying health conditions that would not allow them to drink conventional drinks like sodas that are deemed to have a lot of sugar,” says Muthoni, an employee at one of the joints.
Some of the customers revealed that the dish is very enjoyable and addictive and that they prefer it over other drinks such as tea.
“I have been taking Uji Power since 2022. Once you start, you never stop,” says Henry Karanja a regular partaker of the dish.
According to business lady Jane Njeri Githaiga, popularly known as Njeri wa Uji, the porridge business is one of the most profitable ventures to explore.
Njeri started the business in 2016 at Githurai 44. The journey into the business was inspired by the low clientele in her previous business, which involved selling juice.
As such, she decided to venture into something different to boost her income. She started selling tea, but she couldn’t beat the competition in the market.
She did some trials before introducing the traditional fermented porridge popularly known as “ucuru wa mukio” (porridge made from ground millet) by the Gikuyu.
Njeri also introduced the Uji power –made of porridge flour plus pumpkin seeds, cassava flour, amaranth, and peanut –on her menu.
“As a young girl, I used to assist my late mother in making fermented porridge. That is where I learned the skills. She said.
Her products were so unique, and she started receiving many customers. This motivated her to introduce yet another type of porridge known as smoothie porridge.
The venture was so promising that she abandoned the juice business. She opened branches at Githurai 44, Kasarani, and at Membley Business Centre, where she sells her porridge.
The production cost in this business is way low, meaning with a good clientele, anyone in this business can take home some good money.
Depending on the scale at which you may want to operate it, porridge business does not require much capital to begin. At Sh.20,000 you can lead a thriving venture.
For such an engagement, you need to be on the safe side by acquiring food and hygiene business license which comes with the peace of mind.
Here, a public health officer will have to inspect your business premises to ascertain that it is safe and clean to prepare food. Once you are approved which may cost you Sh.5,000, you will be issued a license to operate the business.
As you grow your business, you will also be required to obtain a food handlers certificate and a fire certificate especially when you increase the number of employees and more customers.
These certificates and licenses will help you avoid any issues with the county askaris.
from here, you will have to move to looking for equipment, strategic location and marketing your product which can be tedious but once the business picks, even your usual customers will be your business ambassadors.
For a start, you will need to balance the remaining Sh15,000 to buy equipment such as some sufuria which can accommodate 10 liters, a jiko, some measuring cups and a thermos flask of about five litres and which can keep the porridge worm for some time.
You will also need some finger millet flour which goes at Sh100 per kilo wholesale price or Sh120 a kilo retail price. On the other hand, you can also buy the grains and take to a posho mill for grinding.
Be careful to start fermenting or adding lemon to make it sour because some customers may not like it so but with time and as the number of your customers increase you may introduce the various flavours to meet their varied needs.
With time you can also start serving your porridge with other foods such as githeri, madazi, chapati, rice/beans and even fried groundnuts which will also increase your income.
The best location for this business is near garages, construction sites and congested areas such as bus stages.
*Final Word*
As we always tell you, there’s no marathon race that has ever been won by those who did not start the race. If you like the idea discussed above and you have what it takes to actualize it…then don’t wait to start…just do it.
Also, don’t forget to join our poultry farming training.
We have received many calls and WhatsApp messages in the past months from different Agripreneurs.
Some of these people (unfortunately) called us after they had already made some serious mistakes and there was nothing or little we could do to help them.
I have met so many Kenyans including my parents, making mistakes in poultry farming business and losing their money.
How can people work hard (for 5 to 10 years) to save money, then put the money into a business, only to make mistakes and lose it all?
That’s painful and I don’t want it to happen to you.
That’s the reason why we have organized for a Poultry Farming Training to educate you and to help you with our years of experience in business and poultry farming world.
By
Timothy Angwenyi
Business Consultant
Justine Nyachieo
Business Man & Mentor
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