Omenebelechukwu Benedicta Ijoma
Food Entrepreneur · Amuwo-Odofin
1–3 years cooking experiencePersonal information
- Full name
- Omenebelechukwu Benedicta Ijoma
- Location
- Amuwo-Odofin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 21
- Phone
- 07076150802
- ebeleijoma05@gmail.com
- Residential address
- 402 road A close Block 4 Flat 10 Festac Town Lagos
- Social handles
- mealsbychef_e & _ebembxby
Applicant profile
- Applicant type
- Food Entrepreneur
- Applicant type other
- —
- Current occupation
- Caterer
- Cooking experience
- 1–3 years
Competition experience
- Prior competitions
- No
- Competition details
- —
Competition readiness
- Available throughout competition
- Yes
Entrepreneurship and impact
- Runs a food business
- Yes
- Business name
- Mealsbychef E
- Business type
- Caterer
- Years in operation
- 2 years ago
- Business challenge
- I tend to be very anxious and I believe that if I’m chosen, I wouldn’t only gain hands-on experience but I would overcome my fear of being shy.
Culinary journey
I started cooking at home, and it never felt like a chore ,it felt like home. Since then I've been self-taught, testing recipes on family and friends and learning through trial, error, and a lot of repetition. I'm at the point now where I want to move from "cooking for people I love" to "cooking under pressure, for people who'll judge me honestly" which is exactly what this competition offers.
Cooking inspiration
Watching someone's face change when a dish hits right ;that's what keeps me in the kitchen. I love blending flavors from my culture with my own instincts, so a dish feels familiar but still surprising. My coconut fried rice with pork is a good example: it's a classic base, but the way I balance the coconut sweetness against the pork is entirely my own.
Signature dish
My signature dish is Jollof Rice and how I love to prepare Jollof Rice is mixing all the ingredients and then add Gino party jollof mix i love fresh ginger and garlic so I add a generous amount of it. Low heat is the star of the process.
Why I want to participate
Cooking is in my blood, it's how I express myself and connect with people. I want to test my skills against real competition standards, not just family and friends, to see where I actually stand. With my goal of becoming a chef next year, this is a chance to get direct feedback from people already working in the field before I take that leap.
What winning would mean
It would be proof that the hours I've put in alone, without formal training, actually translate into something real. More than the title, it would open doors mentorship, connections with working chefs, maybe even opportunities I can't create on my own yet. It would tell me I'm not just passionate, I'm ready.
