Abi Adefisan had entrepreneurship in her family, with Abi's mother running a pub and bringing Abi into the kitchen at age 12 to help cook various types of meals.

Later, after working in project management for 20 years, Abi co-founded with her husband Yum Chops. "We both love cooking and have a passion in the kitchen" declares Abi, who enjoys preparing and testing foods. "So we converted our passion into a business."

Yum Chops brings a fusion of African flavors and other cultures to the mainstream by providing meals throughout the United Kingdom with a "batch freeze" process. Flash frozen foods have a long shelf life - 18 months - and retain the flavor of fresh products. This allows new and exciting foods to reach larger markets. Abi is also bringing technology into the enterprise, using online data to notify customers of specials and know when to refill Yum Chops food vending machines.

After starting Yum Chops in December, 2019 as a home-to-the-market business, the Pandemic came. Abi pivoted by serving food as a supplier to the National Health Service and experimented with preparing meals for nieces and nephews at universities. She then conducted market surveys of universities and student habits to identify on-campus food preferences. This led to new product channels, bulk meals and expansion to 24/7 self-service vending/microwave warming sites. Today 70% of Yum Chop revenues are from vending sales with Yum Chops franchises spreading across the U.K. 

Abi notes that food manufacturing is capital intensive, requiring upfront equipment to scaleup and maximize opportunities. Although Yum Chops obtained small competitive grants and won recognition as a promising startup, these funds "were a drop in the ocean" to what was needed. Bootstrapping revenues were the method to survive and grow. Facing both the Pandemic and financial barriers, Abi says "you can't let a problem hold you back - use it as an opportunity to guide a venture into new pathways. With her positive attitudes, energy and strategies, Abi forsees significant growth for Yum Chops.  Home - YumChop