From an Optometrist to Food Entrepreneur

Ms Paulami Sen

Okay, where do I begin? I am surprised how life took unexpected turns and led me to something I am passionate about. If you would have asked me a couple of years ago where I saw myself in the future, if food entrepreneurship would be my destiny, I would have been uncertain as I never thought of it as a full-time career but a hobby that I enjoyed. Looking back I realized food always played a big part in my life, thanks to my Bengali roots. I firmly believe what Julia Child once quoted “People who love to eat are the best people” and understood that food was not just something that fills your appetite but allows you to understand different cultures and bring people together and I have been fortunate to collaborate with some amazing people who share the same love for food as me from across the globe and continue to do so.

The quintessential photo with the Tulips in Holland

Who am I? And my Journey so far..

My name is Paulami Sen and I currently live in Netherlands with my husband. After living most of our lives in India, my husband and I moved here last year for a fresh start to our lives. I was born in Kolkata into a Bengali family, did my schooling in Mumbai, my junior college in Chennai and chose Optometry for my Bachelors. I graduated from Bausch and Lomb School of Optometry in the year 2007 and yes, I did attend the journal clubs, case discussions and morning lectures just like most of you and talked about it all over again in the canteen over upma, idli or sometimes dosa (well I don’t know if they have changed the menu now after so many years, I truly hope they haven’t)! Upon graduation I went on to do my MBA in Kolkata and then worked in the Education sector for close to 9 years with various organizations in Marketing and Communication specialization (If you may have noticed by the choice of my academics, I LOVE to communicate and that always worked in my favour as I could always land in the job I wanted and currently learning Dutch so that I can continue my streak here in the foreign land ;)).

The best part about moving different cities throughout my life for my education and career was that I got to experience different tastes which was culturally enriching and allowed me to appreciate how diverse our country is and helped me build better connections through food. By doing so, I not only learnt about the famous local delicacies but also about not-so-popular cuisines like the Kanchipuram Idli from Tamil Nadu, Guntur Gongura from Andhra Pradesh, Aloo Posto from West Bengal or Thalipeeth from Maharashtra. I think that’s where my journey truly began.

So, why this?

I have always challenged myself to do something different be that Optometry or a Marketing degree or working for NGOs in India. However, I always felt a void that could not be filled. Although I enjoyed cooking, tasting and feeding friends and family, it was never a career option until 2016 when it hit me that I wanted to do something on my own that I enjoyed and my friends and family encouraged me to take my passion to the next level. That’s also the point when I stopped trying multiple diet plans every other month. I decided to love myself and be more of an ‘intuitive eater’. I was introduced to the magic of real Yoga and went on to discovering myself.

Daal, Aloo Jeera with Rice

I realized soon that food has a much deeper connect with your body and there is a lot one can do with just the mind. After a careful thought I started posting pictures of my healthy Indian recipes on Instagram occasionally which later got to a point where I posted photos I cooked, clicked and ate as per my weekly schedule. To my surprise my followers on Instagram made my journey easier as I started receiving requests for healthier recipes that I could explore and there began my blogging journey. I think it has been a mutually beneficial process so far where my followers have pushed me to cook healthier and I have been on this constant search to post Indian recipes that are healthier alternatives to the western counterparts.

Moving to the Netherlands gave me a bigger reason to explore the global food scene. Soon after moving here, I started my website under the name ‘The Adventures of a Home Cook’ (currently renamed as ‘Spice Trip’) and posted a complete recipe every alternate day. But the need to challenge myself pushed me to finally do something bigger. I decided to register my business as a starter entrepreneur in the Netherlands (exciting times! J). From a home cook adventuring with food and just clicking photos for Instagram to teaching the locals in the Netherlands how to cook Indian food, participating in food events, writing blog articles and working with food brands I would say it’s been quite a different ride than expected.

A journey less expected

Being an optometrist and working those long, tough hours in LVPEI had taught me perseverance, attention to detail and understanding people and their specific needs. Being a marketer made me a strong business person, focus on communication and taught me the sense of ownership.

Over the years I have accrued skills through all the different profiles that I have adapted myself into. Today as an Optometrist turned Food Consultant I feel proud of all the choices that I made in life. It might look to some as lack of focus on career but isn’t life all about living in the moment and experiencing everything without guilt and repent?

If you like to get in touch with me, you can always visit my website www.spicetrip.nl or my Facebook and Instagram handle – spicetripwithpaulami or just drop me a Hello at paulami.sen@gmail.com

Ms Paulami Sen completed her undergraduate degree with Bausch and Lomb School of Optometry in the year 2007 and went onto pursue her Masters in Marketing in 2009. Thereafter, she worked with an NGO and other education organizations for up to 9 years before pursuing her passion for food and starting a new venture. She is currently working with food brands and bringing Indian flavours in the Dutch land of Netherlands and hope to help people lead a healthy and positive life.