If you’ve never tasted paella, it’s a signature Spanish dish that is winning appetites at gourmet food markets, thanks to an adventurous husband and wife duo who gave up their jobs for a new flavour of life
Sometimes you’re hungry for success…and sometimes you’re just plain hungry. It’s safe to say that Daniel and Clemmy Forsthofer are both. Since leaving their regular jobs, Clemmy in PR and Daniel in “user experience”, this hard-working husband and wife duo have whipped up a recipe for change that works.
On weekends, you’ll find them at gourmet food markets in Joburg, drawing a crowd with their tantalising signature dish, paella.
A stirring, spicy concoction of seafood and rice, paella is regarded as the national dish of Spain, and Clemmy and Daniel are fast making it a South African favourite too.
The event-catering, food truck-driving, deliciousness-dishing duo tell us how they got a taste for the foodie life and how sometimes turning your life around can be a recipe for success.
How long has your company, Tutto Food Co., been going?
We started cooking paella in markets in 2011 and formed our company in 2012.
What was the motivation behind the paella stand?
Both of us are hugely passionate about food and were looking for a fun weekend project that would allow us to get involved in the industry.
Friends of our at Gusto in Cape Town wanted to start up a stall at Neighbourgoods in Braamfontein, so we offered to help them run it. That was where it all started.
How did you make the decision to quit your nine-to-five jobs?
We started out just doing Saturdays at the market, then opened another stall on our own steam at a Sunday market and then started to take private bookings in the evenings.
At this point we were still working at our desk-jobs and there was a rough period of about six months where we were pretty much working seven days a week, including weekend nights.
We decided to just go for it with the paella, as we could see the potential growth and were excited about the opportunity to start our own business.
How did the experience teach you to handle or embrace change?
At first it was great, we felt like we were on holiday! But then, of course, you do eventually wake up and realise that everything now rests entirely on your shoulders.
That is particularly stressful as we run the company together, so neither one of us is bringing home that guaranteed pay-check at the end of the month.
It was definitely very beneficial for personal growth though, with both of us tapping reserves of strength and resourcefulness we didn’t know we had.
Speaking of change, how did you go about turning a vintage VW van into a kitchen on wheels?
We were aware of the gap in really good, fresh lunchtime fare for people in offices, who inevitably get stuck with pre-packaged sandwiches and salads that don’t taste like much.
We loved the idea of bringing a better option right to their doorstep and decided to look for a vehicle for a food truck and see what was out there.
The Kombi is nostalgic as well as practical – it’s small enough to fit into a variety of spaces and VW engines are just great, even if some of the other parts don’t work too well anymore .Our vehicle still runs on its original 1976 engine.
Are foodies made or born? How did your passion for food develop?
I am a born foodie with culinary traditions being a massive part my family history. My mom is an amazing self-taught cook – she is South African but grew up in France – and I learned so much from her.
I have memories from about the age of three of helping her slowly add cubes of butter to beaten eggs and sugar for chocolate mousse.
There was no such thing as ‘kid-friendly’ food in my house and that is what informed my palate.
Dan has Italian heritage and has always had an interest in good food. He started to experience getting involved when he’d come over to my family’s house for Sunday lunches and we’d get stuck in together in the kitchen.
That was about 13 years ago now, so during that time he has developed a real passion for cooking and eating, which has become one of the biggest parts of our shared life.
How important is thinking on your feet in your business?
I honestly cannot put enough of an emphasis on how important this is. Unexpected things happen and you have to improvise.
This is one of Dan’s major strengths – we all call him Dan the Man with a Plan. He’s like MacGyver.
On one occasion we were heading to a market in Soweto and one of the connectors for our fuel line in the food truck went. Dan managed to make a quick plan with an S-hook and it worked perfectly.
Little things like that happen all the time and you can’t let it fluster you. There is always a way to make it work.
What’s your favourite thing anyone has said about your food?
We’ve had people telling us that it’s better than some of the paellas they have had in Spain, some people saying that our food just makes them so happy – that kind of thing. It never gets old hearing it and just gives us such a confidence boost each time.
We always make sure to pass on feedback from clients to our staff so that they know what a great job they do.
The one specific comment that does come to mind is when Anthony Bourdain came to the market once for a TV show he was doing and called our paella ‘very respectable’. Not exactly a gushing statement but from a culinary great like him it’s a pretty great compliment.
What is the most important lesson you think people can learn from change?
To learn about who they really are and accept that. There is no way you can navigate change successfully without being honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.
Where can the hungry masses find you?
We are always at Neighbourgoods in Braamfontein on Saturdays and at Fourways Farmers Market on Sundays, doing our seafood paella.
For more info, visit www.tutto.co.za.
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