Culinary arts ākonga opens cafe

A decade after former WITT culinary student Rajeshni Chand completed her qualifications in Professional Cookery and Culinary Arts she realised her dream of opening a café with her husband Vishal. Proud owners of The Favor Flavour in New Plymouth’s Richmond Centre Rajeshni offers Fijian Indo-Chinese food alongside western cabinet food and of course plenty of coffee.

“Some of the current menu includes items I learnt to make during my training at WITT,” she says.

The Favor Flavour has a loyal customer base and sometimes a captive customer base due to its close proximity to MediCross Urgent Care and GP Clinic.

“We get a lot of repeat business and people like to try the speciality Indo-Chinese food we offer.”

Originally from Fiji, Rajeshni moved to Taranaki in 2008. She always had plans to open a café but first she trained then gathered experience working in the bakery departments at New World and Countdown for five years each. Vishal works behind the scenes while Rajeshni creates food for the café and manages the day-to-day operations.

While opening the café during the COVID-19 lockdowns was challenging, with a light, bright new interior fit-out installed last year and a menu with a difference, the future looks positive for Favour Flavour.