We had a chat with T-Spices Kitchen and she shared her journey with us. She always loved cooking and started by helping caterers at events. From doing chores and assisting caterers ‘olopo’ to selling zobo, she now has her own kitchen. Let’s learn more about her inspiring story!

Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Tosin, the creative force behind T-Kitchen Spices. Additionally, I express my love for food and cooking as a food blogger on Instagram and various other platforms. I began making food content in 2018, but I didn’t take it seriously until 2019.

What inspired you to start your journey as a food YouTuber and content creator?
I’ve always loved food and cooking. When I was growing up, I enjoyed being around food and kitchens. I wasn’t sure which part of cooking I should focus on. Before going to university, I had a year of free time. During that time, I volunteered to help caterers in my neighborhood. I went with them to events and did things like washing dishes and other behind-the-scenes tasks. This experience helped me figure out my direction. After finishing university, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to pursue.

I noticed everyone into food was a caterer. So, I thought, why not be a caterer myself, starting small. After university, I began selling soups. I made different types like egusi and other regular ones. Back then, my main aim was to earn money.

During my service year, I relocated to a new place. That was when I realized things weren’t the same due to the new location and different people. I tried continuing the same business, but it didn’t work out. 

I made up my mind to take the chance and learn how to cook properly. I realized there were many dishes I didn’t know how to make beyond the basics like Efo riro and Egusi soup. There were so many more dishes I wanted to learn. I thought, “Well, since I have a year in Lokoja, I can start learning these other recipes.” so, I created a really long list of the foods I wanted to learn how to cook.

I used to search online for various recipes. Then, I’d try making those dishes based on what I found. While testing these recipes, I took pictures so I could remember how they should look when I make them again. I wanted a visual guide for each step. But saving all these pictures on my phone filled it up quickly, so I began sharing them online. At first, I wasn’t sharing to teach anyone; it was more like creating my own online cookbook for easy access. The idea of food blogging began this way.

One time, I made a Plantain Frittata recipe and shared a picture on WhatsApp. Someone saw it and suggested I share it online. I thought, who would even notice? Who knows me? I didn’t think anyone would see it. But the person encouraged me to post it anyway. With their advice and my desire for an archive, I shared it, and surprisingly, people liked it—it even went viral. It caught me off guard, and that’s how it all started.

How do you maintain the ‘T-spices’ touch in your videos?
I think that the personal touch in my videos reflects who I am. I’m a simple and cheerful person. So, I naturally put my personality into what I create. When I teach online, I assume I’m explaining to someone who doesn’t know much about food. I break down the steps so that anyone can understand. I like to imagine I’m a viewer. If I were watching someone else’s video, how would I want it to be? What language would I want them to use? What content would interest me? I try to see things from the viewer’s perspective to make better content.

When you started to spice this kitchen, were you working at the time?
Yes, I had a job. I worked for a year during my service, and then I continued for about two or three more years. But last year, I decided to quit. My job was really tiring in that year. I had to start at eight in the morning and sometimes finish as late as six, seven, or even eight in the evening, depending on how much work there was. Often, I could only make new recipes on weekends. Saturdays and Sundays were my days for creating. On other days, after work, if I had recipes to make, I would work on them until late at night.

When did you start making money from food blogging?
I didn’t start earning money right away. I believe I officially started making money in 2020.

My first major opportunity was with UBA, a bank. Surprisingly, someone reached out to me when I was still quite small in the digital space. A PR agency tweeted about looking for a food blogger. People started mentioning my name in response. Although I wasn’t experienced with ads, they eventually contacted me. They wanted me to do a live video for one of their Instagram series. The concept was to cook an African meal.

Initially, I almost declined because I didn’t have a proper kitchen setup. But then a voice inside me said, “Tosin, don’t turn down opportunities. Don’t give up. Make it work.” I’ve always had that mindset, that no matter the challenge, find a way. So, I decided to take it and put in all the effort to make it happen. That was the moment when I realized there was money in food blogging. I thought, “Small girl, big God, it’s getting big.” It was a bit unbelievable. That experience marked the first substantial amount of money I earned from blogging.

That is interesting! So, what would you consider as the most challenging part of your journey?
The tough part is that you need to spend money. I always advise aspiring food bloggers that it’s not all easy. The main challenge is, firstly, you have to invest money to create content every single day. Unlike some content where you can just sit and talk, creating appealing food content requires more effort. How you cook at home isn’t the same as when you’re making content.

Another issue was the problem of electricity. When I started, I struggled a lot due to unstable electricity. I used to get upset about it because it affected my work significantly.

Do you have a favorite Nigerian dish that holds a special play in your heart, and why?
Yes. I enjoy dishes like pounded yam and efo riro. Maybe it’s because I grew up eating pounded yam. My parents had a farm where we planted yam. We could have pounded yam for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also grew vegetables for making soups. This routine of having pounded yam throughout the day was what I was used to while growing up.

It’s not easy cooking, shooting, and posting contents online. Do you have a team that supports you?
When I began, I managed everything on my own without a team. I was doing it all by myself, no one was there to help. Then, earlier this year, around four months back, I decided to build a team. I started with one assistant. Later, I brought in a cameraperson who assists me using my phone to film. Right now, I have four people on board. One of them works online; she handles social media. She responds to comments on Instagram and Facebook. As for Twitter, I manage that myself because, well, it can get a bit tricky with comments over there, any small thing could lead to ‘dragging’ 😂.

Do you use your phone for shooting videos or you have a camera for that?
No, I began with my phone. I had a Techno phone at first. Then, I switched to an iPhone, an iPhone X Max. I used it for a while, and recently, I upgraded to an iPhone 14 Pro Max. So, I’m still using my phone. The next step might be getting a camera, but for now, my phone works well and I find it more convenient.

What do you have to tell upcoming creators who think they need camera or expensive gadgets before they can start?
What I always say is to follow this motto:

“Use what you have and start where you are. In life, there’s nothing you can’t begin with what you already possess.”

No matter how basic your device might be, always start with it. You can always improve later on. Just because you start with something doesn’t mean you’ll stay there forever. If you begin with what you have, as time passes, you’ll earn money that can help you upgrade to better tools. I began with what I had in the past. Imagine if I had thought, “Oh, this ordinary Techno phone.” I might not have achieved anything, right? So the fact that I’m creating content motivates me to upgrade and consider getting better equipment.

You previously mentioned your experience with UBA a while back; could you also share which other brands you’ve been associated with?
I’ve collaborated with many brands, ranging from small ones to larger ones. I’ve partnered with numerous brands, and there are so many that I can’t even begin to count them all.

Being a food content creator means you can only work with some specific kind of brands. Do you work with brands outside food?
I collaborate with various brands, as you mentioned. However, food content can be somewhat restricting. It tends to put you in a specific category. So, usually, it’s companies that deal with seasonings or kitchenware that approach me. Yet, there are occasions when I work with brands outside of the food industry, depending on their approach. Sometimes, non-food brands have campaigns related to food, and they reach out. For instance, online stores like Jumia that sell various items.

Food blogging has its limitations, and that’s why I’m considering branching out into other types of content, like lifestyle. With lifestyle content, you can attract a wider range of brands beyond just food-related ones. I do wish I had realized this earlier on.

What advice would you give upcoming food content creators who want to have an impact in the food community?
My advice for new creators is to put in a lot of hard work and start with a strong “why.” If I hadn’t started with a compelling reason, I might not be doing this now. Having a strong purpose gives you something to hold onto when things get tough. It reminds you why you started and the goal of your journey. With a solid “why,” you can endure challenges.

Be prepared to put in effort. It’s a considerable amount of work. I can’t express how much work goes into just one recipe you see online. I can spend around five to seven hours on a single recipe. Nowadays, I have people who help me with market shopping, but when I began, I did it alone. After coming back, there’s preparation, which is also a lot of work. Prepping can take two hours. After that, there’s cooking, and it’s not as simple as home cooking. While cooking, I’m cleaning and making sure the camera captures everything accurately.

Then comes editing and coming up with engaging captions that won’t attract “dragging” 😂, it’s a significant workload. Another piece of advice I’d offer is to be ready to upgrade continuously. Always question yourself: What can I add to improve my content? What gadget do I need to enhance quality? What content should I create? Regularly ask, what can I do to elevate my videos?

This thought process led me to create the recent “sapa” series. I wanted to do something new, beyond my kitchen. Also, many people on Twitter were requesting something like that.

Did you have a great read? Catch up by reading more of our spotlights editions, and leave us comments.

 Keep up with T-Spices Kitchen on Instagram @tspices_kitchen  and join her cooking class community

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