CIU Gastronomy students continue to meet with representatives from the sector

The event on the subject of becoming an entrepreneur with Chef Aysu Diren, organized by the Cyprus International University (CIU) School of Tourism and Hotel Management, took place.

Expressing that after she began to receive training in the sector, by using different products, she was able to bring creativity into her recipes while simultaneously producing different flavors, Chef Diren went on to say, “I am devoted to my profession with love and passion”.
Drawing attention to the fact that a majority of the students believe they will become chefs immediately after they graduate from this field, Diren continued "They realize that this is not the entire profession, especially after they begin working in the field”.

Adding that the individual’s social life is limited due to the long working hours of the profession, Diren advised, “It is for this reason that those who wish to practice this profession must love this profession a lot and must possess a tight discipline”.

Diren explained that in order to be an entrepreneur, you need to take risks and be fearless, and also reminded that within the conditions of Cyprus, it is far more challenging to be both a young and female entrepreneur.

Stating that the unsystematic structure of the island has a great impact on these difficulties, Chef Diren elaborated that as an example, when opening a business, even the obtaining permissions from the necessary authorities is very difficult due to the lack of communication between institutions.

Advising that the process of establishing a new business requires a minimum of 7-8 months, Diren underlined that this process requires an unbelievable amount of patience and that it is a very tedious process.

Diren noted that due to her business being located within the castle walls, her customer profile is made up more of tourists and that it is for this reason that she has given priority to producing Cypriot and especially local products.

Also explaining that she learned the recipes in question from her mother and grandmother, Diren advised that she believes in the importance of bringing forgotten local products back into daylight and transferring them to future generations.

Additionally giving advice to the students attending the event, Diren expressed the necessity for the students to develop themselves both theoretically and practically.

As a final note within her speech in relation to becoming an entrepreneur, Diren advised that first you must dream about it, and be prepared for all the difficulties that this dream will bring you, pointing to the importance of having a stance where you will never give up.