Andrew Leeuw, who lives downtown in the City of Gold, Johannesburg, had an engagement with us about his thriving and well-loved chicken business named Sumting Fresh. In his current position, he operates as a chicken dealer who specialises in fried chicken that has a signature chicken recipe as an ingredient. Throughout the interview, he discusses where it all started, including challenges and the success of their journey.
When did Sumting Fresh commence and what inspired you to start this kind of business? “We started in 2009, March, Friday the 13th. That was the scariest day of my life”, he giggled. The inspiration is coming from a chef background, it was natural to want to open my own restaurant or be an entrepreneur in the food industry. When the street food industry started growing overseas, I saw an opportunity to identify and mould my own a style and deliver it to the people”.
Why named Sumting Fresh, & what do you want it to communicate to the public? “It is such a long story, with nothing to do with the food or even opening a food outlet. I had an idea of opening a veggie store and I loved the Ting Tings (music band).
When I communicated my idea to my mother, she said ‘oh that’s something fresh’, and boom the name came about. The name suggests that we can do anything - it does not have to be chicken, chicken just happens to be my passion but we can literally do anything".
What are some of the challenges you faced when you started with Sumting Fresh and how did you overcome those? “The major challenge I came across while I was trying to get the business off the ground was where to sell. It was difficult to get into the market and festivals, especially when you are young and black. Also funding, which is still a challenge till today and getting reliable young staff who have realistic expectations of what work looks like.”
What have been the highlights of your food outlet thus far? “We have had many. We have cooked for Sir Richard Branson, been voted top 10 Amazing Food Market stalls around the world by The Guardian. Most recently, I was featured on the best food review show ever with over 9 million subscribers from all over the world and the list continues to grow. We are truly blessed. Also, we are opening a number of chicken joints around Johannesburg in the near future and we're excited about that."
Lastly, when not busy pushing the food outlet– what do you do to keep sane? “I love visiting the fresh produce market at City Deep, picking out my own produce. I am also a social person. I love being around other people, other foodies and trying out new, fun restaurants”.