Chinenye Utomi
Food Entrepreneur · Ibeju-Lekki
8+ years cooking experiencePersonal information
- Full name
- Chinenye Utomi
- Location
- Ibeju-Lekki
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 35
- Phone
- 07065514458
- shesparks2k@gmail.com
- Residential address
- 19, Taye Ariwayo Drive, Ologunfe Awoyaya
- Social handles
- Instagram: @chopchopdotcom_kitchen, TikTok: @chef_chinny247
Applicant profile
- Applicant type
- Food Entrepreneur
- Applicant type other
- A Caterer,I own an online kitchen
- Current occupation
- Caterer
- Cooking experience
- 8+ years
Competition experience
- Prior competitions
- No
- Competition details
- —
Competition readiness
- Available throughout competition
- Yes
Entrepreneurship and impact
- Runs a food business
- Yes
- Business name
- Chopchopdotcom Kitchen
- Business type
- Catering and Online Kitchen
- Years in operation
- 8 years
- Business challenge
- One of the biggest challenges I face is turning my passion and experience in the food business into a larger, more structured and sustainable enterprise. Eko Flavours would give me the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, mentorship, exposure, and resources that can help me overcome the limitations I currently face and position my business for greater growth and impact.
Culinary journey
My culinary journey began from childhood, inspired by my mother, who was a passionate caterer. Out of the three girls in my family, I was the one who naturally took after her love for cooking. I spent a lot of time watching and assisting her, and that experience laid the foundation for my passion for food and catering.
I began my culinary journey professionally in 2016 while working in a school. I started by preparing meals for colleagues celebrating their birthdays and for their children’s special occasions. With encouragement from my mother and my husband, I became more intentional about developing my skills and also took culinary classes from a family friend who had many years of experience in the food business.
From cooking from home, I gradually expanded into catering for events, participating in fairs, and taking online orders. In 2020, I opened my first physical food outlet, which operated until 2022. Due to its residential location, walk-in traffic was limited, and most of my customers came through online orders. Around the same period, my family was also preparing to relocate within Ibeju-Lekki, which influenced my decision to close the physical outlet and return to an online kitchen model.
Since then, I have continued to grow my culinary business online, serving customers through food orders and catering services And also taking online culinary classes that would help better my skill. My journey has evolved from learning beside my mother to building a food business of my own, and I remain passionate about creating delicious meals and growing in the culinary industry
Cooking inspiration
My cooking is inspired first and foremost by my mother, who introduced me to the joy of cooking from a very young age. Watching and assisting her taught me that cooking is more than just preparing food; it is a way of expressing love, bringing people together, and creating memorable moments.
My children are also a huge source of inspiration for me. There is something so fulfilling about seeing the smiles and happiness on their faces when they enjoy a meal I have prepared, especially when they ask for more. I would often jokingly call them ‘ChopChopDotCom’ whenever they asked for another serving, because they were always ready to chop more! That little family expression eventually became the inspiration behind my kitchen name, ChopChopDotCom.
Beyond my family, I am inspired by my customers and the joy they experience when they eat my food. Knowing that something I created can make someone happy, bring people together, or become part of a special occasion motivates me to keep learning, creating, and improving my craft.
Signature dish
My signature dish is my Party Jollof Rice, a dish that represents everything I love about Nigerian cooking. For me, great Jollof Rice is about more than just the ingredients; it is about the aroma, the depth of flavour, the perfect texture, and that distinctive smoky ‘party’ taste that keeps you going back for more.
I prepare my Party Jollof Rice with carefully selected ingredients and a well-seasoned pepper base, allowing the flavours to develop gradually. The rice is cooked to perfection so that every grain is flavourful, while achieving that rich, smoky taste that Nigerians love.
What makes my Party Jollof Rice special is the care and consistency I put into every pot. It has become one of the dishes my customers associate with my brand, and I love seeing people enjoy it so much that they ask for seconds. For me, a successful pot of Jollof is one that creates that moment when everyone goes quiet because they are simply enjoying the food.
Why I want to participate
I want to participate in Eko Flavours as an opportunity to take my culinary journey to the next level. Inspired by my mother, I have spent the past decade growing from cooking for family and colleagues to building my own food business, catering for events, running a physical outlet, and now operating an online kitchen.
I want to showcase not just my cooking, but the passion, resilience and story behind my journey, while learning from other talented chefs and gaining greater visibility for my brand. Most importantly, I want to celebrate Nigerian food and inspire others to believe that something that starts in a home kitchen can grow into something much bigger.
What winning would mean
Winning Eko Flavours would mean so much more to me than just taking home a title. It would be a beautiful validation of the journey that started in my mother’s kitchen and has grown into a business I have built with passion, persistence and love. It would make my family proud, give my brand a bigger platform, and inspire other women and aspiring food entrepreneurs to believe that their passion can become something meaningful. Most importantly, it would be a reminder that what started with watching my mother cook can become a legacy of my own.
