223: The refugee chefs taking Malaysia by storm

<div>An innovative company in Malaysia is aiming to transform the lives of refugees in the country, through food delivery.<br> <br> </div> <div>PichaEats, based in Kuala Lumpur, helps refugees who can cook to sell their food and make an income.<br> <br> </div> <div>Suzanne Ling is the company's co-founder and she puts it simply: "They can cook but don't have access to the market. We have access to the market, but we can't cook."<br> <br> </div> <div>And she is clear that this isn't charity work. The chefs are paid more than they spend on ingredients, and PichaEats makes a profit too - after paying marketing and distribution costs - by charging customers even more.<br> <br> </div> <div>"The chefs are partners," says Suzanne. "They're not employed by us."<br> <br> </div> <div>PichaEats is one of the food related Expo Live global innovators at Expo 2020 hosted in Dubai.<br> <br> </div> <div>In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Suzanne tells Stefan Gates about how she came up with the idea for the business whilst still a student, why making a profit is seen as an important driver for what they're trying to achieve, and how the pandemic almost completely destroyed the business model.<br> <br> </div> <div> <strong>Suzanne Ling, Co-Founder, PichaEats<br> </strong><br> </div> <div>Suzanne is the co-founder for PichaEats, an impact-driven business that aims to serve delicious meals and enable change among communities through food. <br> <br> </div> <div>Founded in 2016, PichaEats partners with chefs from displaced communities, sharing their delicious cuisines from their home countries, including Palestine, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan to conferences, events, homes and more.</div>