How a chef with his own meal service found structure and freedom.
How do you turn your own meal service into a stable business? Ralph shares how Stewday brought him structure, freedom and happy customers.
“I used to help my mother in the kitchen. It was simply my thing.” Ralph knew from an early age that the kitchen was where he belonged. After internships at De Bloemenbeek and Landgoed De Wilmersberg, he worked as a chef and attended the Cas Spijkers Academy, where he also interned at De Librije. He then worked for six years as sous-chef at Restaurant Joann in Enschede.
That experience gave him skill and discipline, but also a clear insight.
“Always coming home late, missing parties, your girlfriend already in bed… I didn’t want that for my whole life. And I thought: I’m still young, I don’t have children, so if I want to try it, now is the time.”
Ralph
When the restaurants closed during COVID, Ralph suddenly found himself at home. “After a few weeks of free time, I’d had enough. My girlfriend said: if you start cooking, I’ll put it on Facebook. We’ll simply sell it to people.”
That is how he started cooking meals from home. At first, about ten meals at a time. “I started from home. So large investments and debts weren’t necessary.”
After a few years, he moved to a professional kitchen. “The difference is huge. One large roasting tray, more capacity, faster cleaning. I’m glad I no longer cook from home.”
Things were going well, but in hindsight a lot of time was being lost. Orders came through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and payments through Tikkie.
“There were always several people who hadn’t paid, or the links didn’t work. Then I had to chase them myself. Figuring out routes used to take me 45 minutes; now it happens automatically. And every now and then I forgot an order, which is obviously very frustrating. There simply wasn’t any overview.”
Ralph
Ruud’s wife, Stewday co-founder, ordered a meal around Christmas and suggested that Ralph have coffee with him. That conversation came at exactly the right time: Ralph had just left Joann and was looking for more structure.
What convinced him? “Structure. Saving time. And the delivery routes. I’m not at all good with IT, but I understood the system immediately after using it once. And it all works on your mobile.”
“My customers find ordering through Stewday much easier.”
Ralph
“Thanks to Stewday, I know exactly how many portions I’ll be cooking days in advance. That means I can buy efficiently and fresh from Hanos, without any waste.”
Ralph cooks chilled meals that people can easily heat up at home. “I choose dishes that are just as tasty after reheating. Healthy, tasty and varied food is very important to me.”
His secret? “Fresh ingredients, knowing which spices to add. If the foundation is good, you can’t go wrong. And of course experience: you learn most by trying and sometimes falling flat on your face.”
When delivering, Ralph also gives customers a practical tip: “If people aren’t home, I always recommend putting out a cooler bag or cool box. That way the meals stay nice and fresh.”
All of Ralph’s orders go through Stewday’s ordering system. That makes it easy for regular customers to return and repeat their orders. Convenient and helpful for both Ralph and his customers.
On a cooking day, Ralph prepares meals for around 40 to 45 households. Besides main dishes, he also makes side dishes, soups and vegetable juices, giving customers a varied selection to choose from. He also remains active in private dining, a combination that brings variety, visibility and additional opportunities.
“Structure. Fewer mistakes. Time saved. That’s Stewday for me.”
Ralph
Ralph cooks his meals on Mondays and Thursdays and delivers them on Tuesdays and Fridays. This fixed schedule gives him structure and freedom, and customers know exactly what to expect.
“Stewday gives me peace of mind and overview. I make a decent living from it. You really won’t hear me complain.”
Ralph
Through Stewday, Ralph also receives reviews and feedback directly from his customers. “I like that, and it’s useful too. I immediately see what people appreciate and can learn from it. It’s also nice for customers to share their experience. It gives new customers extra confidence as well.”
For Ralph, Stewday’s added value is clear.
His advice to other chefs: “Start small alongside your job. Build it up calmly. And make sure you turn enough volume. Then Stewday really gives you peace of mind and overview.”
“Stewday is simply great.”
Ralph
Ralph sees himself continuing with Stewday for a long time. “I hope I can keep working with Stewday four days a week forever. The system saves so much time; I wish that for every chef. For me, Stewday means stability and the freedom to keep growing.”
Does this sound familiar? Or do you dream of starting your own meal service?
We’d be happy to give you a short demo, a fifteen-minute tour of the system. Prefer to meet in person? That’s absolutely fine too. Send us a message or easily schedule an appointment.
Welcome to Your Calm Kitchen.
niels@stewday.com
WhatsApp