CLOSE PARTNERSHIP: The catering company works closely with a consulting team of two leading decorators, aiding The Big Rajah to create an elegant and opulent setting for each event they cater to.
INDUSTRY LEADER: John has not only grown The Big Rajah to be a leader in the food catering industry but had also revolutionised it to include event planning.
KUCHING: Another successful small and medium enterprise (SME) is The Big Rajah Caterers (The Big Rajah), a catering house in Peninsular Malaysia that has grown into a full 24/7 catering company over the past 30 years.
For someone who freely confesses that he never wanted to be a part of the catering business, entrepreneur John William Xavier has not only grown The Big Rajah to be a leader in the food catering industry but had also revolutionised it to include event planning.
In an online interview with The Borneo Post, John revealed his passion with food enticing him to keep up with the latest trends, tastes, cooking styles and presentation methods.
“I have been in other food catering companies previously as a partner, but was never really satisfied as I could not implement new concepts and ideas that I wanted done,” he outlined.
“I have always kept up with the latest food trends and wanted to present food in a concept where it would be a banquet fit for a king, but you didn’t have to pay as much… hence The Big Rajah.” The entrepreneur revealed that what sets The Big Rajah apart from other SMEs is its mentality and the way they perceive business.
“We don’t look at it as selling food, but rather a partnership with individuals and couples who are on a journey to celebrate their special days, be a birthday party or a wedding,” he explained.
“We feed on a no compromise policy – We deal with the best ingredients and leading suppliers of raw food, so as quality is always maintained.
“We also run a 24 hour kitchen which means the food is only cooked just before it is served,” he added.”
John shared the belief that the food catering business was the most profitable business to do, so “any guy with two pots and a pan tries to become a caterer.”
“There are at the moment thousands of so called caterers in the Klang Valley area, but the cream still rises to the top where you have genuine catering houses of quality,” he enthused.
“For The Big Rajah, we maintain high quality control standards.We do post-mortem reports of every function and customers feedback on the food standard.” In addition, the catering company works closely with a consulting team of two leading decorators, aiding The Big Rajah to create an elegant and opulent setting for each event they cater to.
This adds to the atmosphere and specialness of each event, he highlighted.
Speaking on future expansion plans, the budding entrepreneur revealed his plans to bring in more professional personnel to give even better services and advice to the customers and to cater for what seems to be a very demanding and sophisticated market in the capital.
“Concerning Sabah and Sarawak, we are already talking to some people about a joint venture,” he concluded.