What’s in a Name? A Tribute Etched in Flavor
When Chineye Edeh was prompted to call her new enterprise, there was no second-guessing, no boardroom debate, no lengthy listing of options. Just one identify crammed her coronary heart and thoughts — Victoria. The identify wasn’t simply nostalgic — it was sacred. Victoria Kitchen is greater than a enterprise; it’s a residing tribute to a lady of quiet energy and generational affect — her mom, Mrs. Victoria, whose resilience and humility formed the inspiration on which the enterprise now thrives.
“My mum is my role model. She went through a lot — financial difficulties, emotional hardships, and the complexities of raising children in a turbulent marriage. Yet, she kept us safe, clothed, and fed. She gave us not just meals, but memories — moments of joy, prayer, laughter, and hope,” the founder recollects, her voice full of emotion.
Mrs. Victoria didn’t do it alone. Her siblings — aunties and uncles — stepped in to assist the place essential. A good-knit prolonged household gave the kids a way of rootedness and love, even in seasons of wrestle. It was inside this setting — cast by prayer, onerous work, and unity — that the values of integrity, sacrifice, and repair took root sooner or later entrepreneur.
To identify the enterprise Victoria Kitchen was not simply branding — it was an altar of remembrance. It was saying: You might not have had a restaurant, Mama, however your life was our first style of fine meals and nice love.
A JOURNEY OF DEDICATION: THE STORY OF EDEH CHINENYE JESSICA
Born on the seventh of February, 1988, in Akpugo, Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State, Edeh Chinenye Jessica grew up with a quiet however decided resolve — to develop, to present, and to help humanity in each manner she might. Her early years in Onitsha laid the inspiration for her tutorial journey, starting at Santa Maria Primary School, the place she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate in 2001.
Fuelled by curiosity and a love for studying, she continued her training at St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, incomes her West African Senior School Certificate (WAEC) in 2007. It was there her curiosity within the rising world of know-how started to take root — a ardour that may form the subsequent part of her journey.
In pursuit of excellence and technical information, Chinenye enrolled on the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, the place she studied Computer Science. She first bagged an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 2012 and, pushed by a need to deepen her competence, she returned to finish her Higher National Diploma (HND) in 2015.
Along the way in which, she supplemented her classroom information with sensible expertise, incomes a certificates in Computer Applications from Mecxon Computer School the identical 12 months.
Her industrial coaching at Alo Aluminum Company (2012–2013) gave her firsthand expertise in making use of IT information in a real-world setting. But Chinenye’s coronary heart longed for extra than simply technical mastery — she yearned to serve.
This inside ardour led her to the event sector. In 2015, she joined Happy Home Foundation, a non-governmental group in Enugu, the place she served with dedication. Her work revolved round supporting susceptible {groups}, coordinating applications, and delivering hope to many.
During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 12 months from 2016 to 2017, she was posted to Succour and Development Service Initiative, persevering with her humanitarian efforts with focus and compassion.
Following NYSC, Chinenye returned to Happy Home Foundation, the place she labored till 2019 — years marked by progress, service, and the strengthening of her dedication to people-centered work.
Then got here a brand new season.
In 2019, she stepped into entrepreneurship, founding Victoria’s Kitchen, a meals enterprise impressed by her mom’s legacy and her personal culinary ardour. What started as a small initiative quickly blossomed right into a platform not just for nourishment but additionally for empowerment, as she blended her enterprise expertise, integrity, and heat to serve others in new methods.
Chinenye’s journey is one in all constant studying and significant impression — from the pc labs of IMT to the mission fields of NGOs, and now to the kitchens the place meals meets function. Through each step, her story displays not simply expertise, however character, imaginative and prescient, and a coronary heart that continues to work onerous in the direction of supporting the human particular person.
Food that Tastes Like Home — And Heals the Soul
The turning level got here when clients started repeating the identical phrase:
“This food tastes just like what my mother makes at home.”
At first, it was only a praise. Then, it grew to become a sample. And quickly, it remodeled right into a model identification.
From these phrases got here the tagline:
“Food That Feels Like Home.”
But what precisely makes Victoria Kitchen’s meals really feel like residence? It’s not simply the recipes — it’s the philosophy behind them:
Sourcing recent, native substances from trusted markets.
Hand-prepping each part — from peeling to pounding, steaming to stirring — with intention.
Honoring conventional cooking strategies, not shortcuts.
Serving each plate with pleasure, like Mama Victoria did — not out of obligation, however out of affection.
The menu itself reads like a love letter to Nigerian culinary heritage:
Mornings
Crispy golden akara (bean desserts) made recent each morning,
Served with pap (akamu) that’s clean, wealthy, and warming.
Noons
Fluffy and vibrant jollof rice that by no means misses,
Creamy yam porridge with smoked fish,
Soft beans paired with aromatic rice and dodo.
Afternoons to Evenings
A rotation of hearty swallows — eba, semo, fufu —
Paired with soups like egusi, ogbono, oha, and bitterleaf, wealthy with meat, stockfish, and home-seasoned spice blends.
Extras
Occasionally, particular native dishes — from Nkwobi to Ukwa (breadfruit) — are added, honoring ancestral recipes and regional flavors.
