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From tea to
pastries
Standing
behind the counter, dressed in a white shirt and checked tie, was
the chairman of Russel's, Russel Perera, obliging the orders with
a warm smile. "Why don't
you come in and take a seat, madam? Your order will take about 12
minutes," he urges a customer. "I stay on the opposite
side. I will give
you a call and come when it is ready," she tells him as an
employee brings a basket-full of lunch packets. The smell of
spicy curries and baked food fill the four-tabled sitting area of
the pastry shop and Perera continues serving his clients. A lady asks
if hoppers are sold at the shop in the night. "No, we sell
grilled items, steak, pork chops and kottu," he tells her.
"But you should start hoppers," she suggests, sitting
behind a glass table. The tables,
though placed for the convenience of customers, create an aura of
a fine-dining restaurant with its burgundy-cushioned black chairs,
burgundy napkins, black table mats and long-stemmed wine-glasses. "The response
has been excellent and we have plans to grow. Our chef is one of
the best, having 27 years' experience in the hotel trade,"
said a beaming Perera. The pastry
shop, situated in the same premises as the head office at Elvitigala
Mawatha, opposite the Elvitigala Flats, is the newest member in
the Russel's family. Opened just
two months ago it sells over 200 lunch packets and 300 pastries
a day, according to Chef Anthony Ranasinghe who has a lot of experience
having served at Hotel Topaz, Galadari Meridien, the Hilton, Mount
Lavinia Hotel and Taj Exotica-Bentota. The pastry
shop sells everything from pastries to bread and rice and curry
to grilled meat. "We have an a la carte menu and cater to all
segments of society. The barbecue starts at 6.30 p.m. and a variety
of food ranging from Eastern to Western can be ordered to suit the
needs of the customer." Local dishes
with traditional flavours are prepared at Russel's well-equipped
modern kitchen to suit the taste buds of its customers. "This
is different from hotel work. I have to motivate my staff and maintain
the quality of our food. Each order is different and we have to
satisfy our clients." Established
in 1988, Russel's Tea and Catering Services started as a tea serving
company initially. Today it comprises three branches: tea serving,
tea sales and catering and provides services to over 70 companies. "Twenty
out of the 70 companies retained us to do the catering too and things
are going smooth right now." Started with
a capital of Rs.3,000 in 1988 and serving 50 cups of tea per day
at Seylan Bank, Russel's has come a long way since its inception.
Eight years
in the hotel trade and holding a diploma in Food and Beverages from
the American Hotels and Motels Association, Perera was an employee
of Hilton Hotel when he met Rohan Perera, Chairman Pramuka Bank
and former Managing Director of Seylan Bank. He urged (Russel) Perera
to start on his own and supported him through out. "He is
the brainchild of Russel's Tea Services. My family didn't like me
leaving Hilton and starting on my own. My parents
and wife were not convinced and nobody liked me doing business.
But I was determined to start on my own." Perera never
realised his company would become a success. But determination,
hard work and perseverance has taken him a long way. He has been
supplying Hilton with tea for the past 14 years and markets his
tea through Sathosa today. The first company
to introduce unblended tea to the market, Russel's has faced a number
of problems in coping with the demand for its tea. "We closed
the tea section and re-opened it in 1999. I hope that others will
come forward and sell good tea to the local market. All good tea
is being exported." Looking back,
Perera is very proud of his achievements. "In the first three
to four years of my business I had to do a lot of work by myself."
From transporting tea to selling, keeping accounts, training stewards
and stewardesses, everything has been done by Perera himself. Later
he hired professional managers and delegated his work. "I am
very happy because I built the entire business on my sweat and blood
and saw it grow. We had no funds at the beginning. But I somehow
managed to sell tea in the morning and buy new stock at Old Moor
Street in the evening. I am not ashamed of what I did in the growing
years because I reap the benefit now." He has carried
a 52-kilo tea box by himself when his wife was pregnant. "I
have nothing to worry about today and I want to give more comforts
to my staff." Having walked
from shop to shop sporting a tie and carrying a travelling bag full
of tea, transported tea on a motor bike and finally transported
tea in a van, Perera now sits comfortably in his office. "My wife
and I used to prepare hotdogs and noodles and send them to the bank
through the only steward we had at that time and I used to take
tea from shop to shop. That was a difficult period. But we are doing
fine now." |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
