Gursha Ethiopian Catering
Sara Gebre was born and raised in add where in Ethiopia, where she learned to cook traditional Ethiopian cuisine from her mother and grandmother. Sara from a young age was enthralled with the aromas and flavors that came out of her family’s kitchen. One of her favorite aromas was the smell of fresh Ethiopian coffee emanating from the Jebena (a traditional Ethiopian coffee pot) that her mother kept on the stove. In Ethiopia, coffee is not just a beverage, it is a social ritual. Coffee ceremonies are a way for people to come together and connect with each other.
Sara grew up performing coffee ceremonies several times per week as these ceremonies strengthen community ties and keep social circles tight. It’s customary to perform coffee ceremonies to welcome guests and is the most important part of hospitality in Ethiopia. Even when Sara left her homeland, she always knew that she wanted to share her love of both food and coffee with others in her new community and keep her family of x number of boys connected to their culture as well.
When Sara moved to the United States, she deeply missed the coffee culture of her homeland. She began teaching about Ethiopian coffee culture and conducting coffee ceremonies at people’s homes, mostly the parents of her sons’ classmates at their new schools in Denver. Jebena Coffee, her first business was born.
Sara’s coffee ceremonies provide a unique way for people to learn about Ethiopian culture and to experience the taste of Ethiopia. Sara begins her coffee ceremonies by roasting the coffee beans over an open flame. The aroma of the roasting beans fills the air and entices the participants to engage further into the comfort of coffee. She serves up the earthy roasted coffee and takes time to answer questions and shares stories of Ethiopia. Participants get to slow down, enjoy the company of others, and get a taste of a new culture.
Jebena Coffee started to grow. Sharing an authentic coffee ceremony is a big commitment of time and the process takes hours. Though teaching coffee culture enabled Sara to share the love of her culture, it was difficult to grow the business and make a livable wage on coffee ceremonies alone. It was time to bring a real taste of Ethiopia to her growing client base. Sara got to work building her menu and perfecting her recipes and began catering small events with a limited, yet delicious selection of Ethiopian delicacies such as:
- Misir Wot, a dish made of red lentils cooked with berbere spice
- Yeater Alicha Wot, a dish made of yellow split peasAzifa, cold lentil salad made with onions and spices
- Doro Wot, slow cooked chicken with berbere and Ethiopian spices
- Ground Beef Curry- beef braised with turmeric and Ethiopian spices
- A variety of other Ethiopian inspired vegetarian dishes
Sara became known for her reasonably priced, healthy, and delicious food as well as her warm hospitality. Gursha Ethiopian Catering continues to grow. With each event Sara caters, she gains new customers who get a chance to sample and rave about her well-prepared Ethiopian fare to others.
Sara’s story is a testament to the power of passion and hard work. She started her business with the simple idea of sharing her culture with others and she has grown it into a successful and growing business.
Sara Gebre is a great food entrepreneur who began her journey with Kitchen Network and continues to benefit from the resources available to her at our facility. She works hard to build her business and can access professional food business mentors who can connect her to experts and open different sales channels for her business. Kitchen Network is proud to have Sara as a member of our community and is excited to support her in growing her catering business.