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Handling food professionally

3 November 2009

If you think there is no self-employment prospects in Bhutan, follow what Sonam Wangdi does. Soanam Wangdi from Nganglam is the first food handler in Trashigang. He delivers momo to homes and offices.
He is a professional food handler with a valid licence. He started selling momo after attending food handlers’ training conducted by Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority on September 27. He believes that food handling is a lucrative and promising business.
Soanam Wangdi drove his brother-in-law’s taxi until he took up food handling. According to him, driving a taxi in a place like Trashigang is not lucrative, if not unsustainable. “Driving an old taxi on unpaved roads cost me dear in terms of fuel and depreciation,” he said. He also said that driving a taxi was tiresome, especially having to brave scorching sun and cold weather.
According to Sonam, the difference between selling momo and driving a taxi is that the former gives him a decent profit and plenty of time to rest and help his wife while the latter gave him little quality time and profit. Sonam Wangdi is passionate about cooking. He has been running food stall at tshechus like Gom Kora.
When Jamyang Khentse Rinpoche conducted a wanglung in Bartsham in Trashigang, he ran a food stall from which he made about Nu 1.5 million. That was his biggest inspiration to take up food business. But he is also drawing heavily upon his experience of running a hotel in Samdrup Jongkhar.
Sonam Wangdi starts preparing momo from 6 am. By 11 am, he is out selling it to people in different offices and housing colonies. “I must take it at 11 sharp because office-goers prefer snacks at that time,” he said. “Otherwise, customers say they would rather have lunch than momo.”
At around 12 pm, he manages to sell 50 plates of momo. Fifty plates of momo he and his sister-in-law manage to make every morning are not enough for his customers. But he walks home with a net profit of at least Nu 500.
Sonam plans to open an Indian cuisine restaurant in Trashigang. “I want to undergo a chef training in India to open the restaurant,” he said. Before that, he might be found selling puri and tea at the bus stand since he has already planned to open a food stall there.

Sonam WangdiIf you think there is no self-employment prospects in Bhutan, follow what Sonam Wangdi does. Soanam Wangdi from Nganglam is the first food handler in Trashigang. He delivers momo to homes and offices.

He is a professional food handler with a valid licence. He started selling momo after attending food handlers’ training conducted by Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority on September 27. He believes that food handling is a lucrative and promising business.

Soanam Wangdi drove his brother-in-law’s taxi until he took up food handling. According to him, driving a taxi in a place like Trashigang is not lucrative, if not unsustainable. “Driving an old taxi on unpaved roads cost me dear in terms of fuel and depreciation,” he said. He also said that driving a taxi was tiresome, especially having to brave scorching sun and cold weather.

According to Sonam, the difference between selling momo and driving a taxi is that the former gives him a decent profit and plenty of time to rest and help his wife while the latter gave him little quality time and profit. Sonam Wangdi is passionate about cooking. He has been running food stall at tshechus like Gom Kora.

When Jamyang Khentse Rinpoche conducted a wanglung in Bartsham in Trashigang, he ran a food stall from which he made about Nu 1.5 million. That was his biggest inspiration to take up food business. But he is also drawing heavily upon his experience of running a hotel in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Sonam Wangdi starts preparing momo from 6 am. By 11 am, he is out selling it to people in different offices and housing colonies. “I must take it at 11 sharp because office-goers prefer snacks at that time,” he said. “Otherwise, customers say they would rather have lunch than momo.”

At around 12 pm, he manages to sell 50 plates of momo. Fifty plates of momo he and his sister-in-law manage to make every morning are not enough for his customers. But he walks home with a net profit of at least Nu 500.

Sonam plans to open an Indian cuisine restaurant in Trashigang. “I want to undergo a chef training in India to open the restaurant,” he said. Before that, he might be found selling puri and tea at the bus stand since he has already planned to open a food stall there.

By Tempa Wangdi

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under About Town 

Comments

One Response to “Handling food professionally”

  1. PiG on November 3rd, 2009 1:10 pm

    For a dude of your age and style, this is an amazingly interesting story. Please keep up and good luck with your future ideas. You are a true role model for many of our graduates who are loitering around Thimphu these days.

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