Written for SA2Eire by Jeanette from UncleBok
So you arrive in Ireland, thousands of miles from the place you once called home. It is cold, wet and miserable. Everything feels unfamiliar.
But you get used to it, one day at a time.
The thing you struggle with most is not the weather, though. It is that you cannot buy all those handy little things that sat on every shop shelf and garage counter in South Africa.
That packet of biltong or droëwors you grabbed on the go. Popping into the home bakery for a tin of rusks, a milktart, or some koeksisters to have when friends dropped in for a cuppa.
So you scour good ould Google. You find recipes. Watch tutorials. You learn to make these treats yourself, especially after seeing the astronomical prices being charged by the handful of Saffas already selling them in Ireland.
Before long, you are bragging to your family and friends on your nearest social media page about your new-found skill.
This is easy, you think. And so much cheaper than buying.
Then the idea sparks.
But I could make a bit of money with this. Everyone says my biltong is fabulous. I will just make a bigger batch next time and sell it. I can charge half the price of the established Biltong suppliers.
If that sounds familiar, and you have thought about starting your own small food business in Ireland, you have much more than just making and selling to keep in mind.
