Caterer Liz Seaton, “the boss” of Gingers, found that in cosmopolitan Hong Kong people love to try different cuisines and ingredients

Liz Seaton's business card says it all: 'Gingers, the Caterer for Business and Pleasure'. It also says under her name "the Boss". In 10 years, this dynamic, red-haired Scottish boss of Gingers has built up her own catering business - from her first dinner party for a friend's employer, to a company that now has over 400 clients.

Much of Gingers' business is catering for executive lunches, cocktail parties, junk trips, private dinners and buffet parties. Ms Seaton attributes her success to providing a wide range of high quality food, and making sure everything is arranged to suit the clients' needs. She also adopts a personal approach - even the name of the company is inspired by her curly ginger hair.

Ms Seaton came to Hong Kong in 1991 to stay with a friend. She fell in love with the place and quickly found a job as a chef, working for a variety of employers including a Hong Kong law firm where she was an executive chef. In her spare time, Ms Seaton also did private catering, cooking from home in her tiny Hong Kong kitchen.  Such was the demand that Ms Seaton realised she could give up her day job and run a catering business full time.

 "I have a niche market: - Western food with an Asian influence. Hong Kong is such an international place, where people travel so much that they want to try different types of food and experiment with a wide variety of ingredients, that cooking for Hong Kong people is really exciting and never boring," she said.

Initial investment soon pays off

Gingers started full-time in December 2001 with an initial investment of HK$400,000 (US$51,000), mostly used to convert a 500 square foot 'dai pai dong' (small food outlet) in Mid-Levels into a proper functioning food factory.

She also took on four permanent staff and a team of trusted freelancers.  By March 2003, she had acquired extra space - a 700 square foot neighbouring art gallery, and hired more permanent staff. 

Ms Seaton says Hong Kong has been "a fantastic place" to start a business, adding: "If I need anything, I can have it made up in a couple of days."

Hong Kong's strict hygiene and licensing laws made obtaining a food factory licence straightforward. Finding contractors to do the work was "incredibly easy", she said. "I negotiated the contract on the Saturday, they started work on Wednesday and within a month, I was in my new kitchen cooking my first Gingers dinner party."

Because her work largely comes from client referral and repeat business, Ms Seaton rarely needs to advertise. She creates new menus every two months and emails them to her database of clients, showing there is always something new on the Gingers menu. She also maintains a profile by donating dinners or catered parties to various charities.

Ms Seaton adds the British Chamber of Commerce has served as a valuable marketing tool, as donating catering prizes to two of the chamber's events "gave me a lot of exposure".

The thriving boss of Gingers says to anyone with similar aspirations: "Stick to your original goals, and don't deviate. My goal was to be Hong Kong's best caterer, and I still aim to be - so just go for it."

Related links:
Gingers www.gingers.com.hk
British chamber of commerce www.britcham.com