● He is passionate about his craft

On the occasion of Father’s Day men who go the extra mile to provide for their families are acknowledged.

As we congratulate and celebrate gallant fathers, The Spectator puts the spotlight on Mr. Fredrick Odartey Goli­ghtly, who has for the past 25 years operated a local restau­rant at Kaneshie in Accra.

His resolve to succeed at what he does, in spite of setbacks, fits the aphorism: “A successful man is one who lays a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”

INSPIRATION

Speaking about progress made over the years, he said turning a hobby to a lucrative business was “the best deci­sion” he had ever made.

“My mum Grace Kwamah was a bar operator and people patronised her business anytime I prepared sausage and meat for sale. I had the passion for experimenting dif­ferent meals and always loved to cook even though my mother did not need a helping hand.

“Watch­ing docu­mentaries about cooking on television also moti­vated me to follow my dreams and pas­sions,” he noted.

Mr. Goli­ghtly said his parents had wanted him to become an accountant so he enrolled at a private account­ing school at Kaneshie but when an uncle spoke about taking him abroad, he thought of acquiring a skill that would help him gain employment quickly when he travelled.

This, therefore, led him to enroll at a catering school at Mamprobi. Upon graduation from the course, he worked with some local restaurants before deciding to operate his own eatery in 1988.

Mr. Golightly subsequently abandoned the idea of mi­grating abroad and continued to serve his numerous clients with both continental and local dishes in Accra, and has trained over 60 individuals who have also gone ahead to start their own businesses.

ROUTINE

Talking about his daily work, the hardworking chef, said his day began after setting off ear­ly in the morning to procure fresh food­stuffs from Kaneshie market.

“I am always in the kitchen preparing meals because I want things to be done neatly and properly under my supervision” he noted.

Aside the nutritious meals he serves, he said his prices were relatively cheap and that had helped him attract more clients through­out the years.

The Chief Executive Officer of The Chef Palace makes good use of de­livery services in order to meet the needs of his clients.

According to him, he had been operating three separate food joints which were run­ning smoothly until 2020 when COVID-19 set in. He currently manages one and continues to serve his clients in spite of what he described as increas­ing cost of operations.

FUTURE

He indicated that there was good return in the local catering business and that explains why lot of people continued to invest in the sector.

“Tasty foods must be the hallmark of an operator. Operating a local restaurant is not an easy business. It is time consuming and requires less sleep.

“It is very profitable when managed well because I have been able to do a lot for my family and children,” he said.

Mr. Golightly is impressed that more men were ventur­ing into the food and catering business compared with the days when it was deemed a “woman’s business.”

“I am always excited any­time I see men in the business because in my hay days, there were only few of us in the business,” he said.

ADVICE

The father of five said young people should follow their passion and acquire a skill aside the lessons taught in the classroom as there were more opportunities for employment aside white-col­lar jobs.

Born to Grace Kwamah and Robert Golghtly, the 50-year-old chef hails from James Town and lives at Bubiashie. He has five sib­lings. For his hobbies, he pre­fers researching new recipes and trying new meals.

By Linda Abrefi Wadie