Orange's Red Chilli Deli owner Ayoma Gooneratne celebrates 15 years in business

Known not to pat herself on the back, Mrs Gooneratne leant into her "going and going and going" pace with running a business, reflecting on her 15 years in the gig and really absorbing the then-to-now journey.

Though with also learning how to recharge and give back to self during this time, she finally gave herself the permission to soak in some well-earned kudos.

"As a business woman and also surviving in business during some difficult times, to know that I have come through it all and have been able to achieve this milestone ... I sat down on this particular birthday and I said to myself 'well done, you'," Mrs Gooneratne said.

"There's a lot of hard work and perseverance involved in a job like this and you really need to have passion and determination as well, these all play a big role together.

"So I felt pride in myself ... in the business and what we produce, in what I give to the community and what I have received from it in return; and I felt proud to know we made it here."

After moving to Orange in 1996, Mrs Gooneratne "did her homework" before deciding to launch Red Chilli Deli officially in 2007.

Over a period of 10 months, she studied the region's food industry, the business climate and researched Orange's local demographic, getting a good handle on what people might be missing out on.

Tossing up between opening up either a restaurant or something smaller, she stumbled across a unique loophole - finding a "niche market" in an area that had no gourmet deli back then.

"People had talked about travelling as far as Sydney for those products and I thought 'well why not open something here that is convenient, keeps the money in town, and that I will enjoy doing?'," she said.

"That basically enabled me to choose the products that I was going to sell and helped to form our five-year business plan in the beginning, and I suppose that's one of the reasons why thankfully - and by the grace of God - that we've survived as long as we have.

"I knew if we got our basics right and read people and read the community really well, then we could reach success."

Since that starting block, the business has lived through the Global Financial Crisis, multiple flash flooding events in the region, the worst drought period on record, and a worldwide pandemic.

The peak of COVID-19 was perhaps the more nerve-racking of them all, where Red Chilli Deli resorted to cutting trading hours as opposed to stopping business operations altogether.

"We became determined not to close - we reduced our hours, advertised [online] like crazy, did free food deliveries and cooked for people in isolation - we just did whatever was required to 'stay alive'," Mrs Gooneratne said.

"There were definitely times where I thought 'oh dear, am I going to survive this' and then clutching to those positives and remembering where the passion is.

"We just kept putting one foot in front of the other after going into survival mode, because we thought 'no, we are determined to see this through'.

"You really learn how to steer yourself through all of the obstacles and basically ride the wave; because at the end of the day, you need to be able to read the market and then set-up accordingly."

This deep drive and adapting in times of change and uncertainty is part of what Mrs Gooneratne hopes sets the bar when it comes to her business ethics.

She also doted on her clientele, feeling nostalgic about some of the "beautiful friendships" she's had both the honour and pleasure of forming over the past 15 years.

"First and foremost, people have been my true highlight in business, there's no question about it," she said.

"It is 100 per cent the customers that keep me going and there are some amazing people who have supported me right from the word 'go'.

"I also have such a passion for what I do because I love cooking and anything to do with food, from attending trade shows and keeping ourselves aware and educated with new things to come on board with."

Likening food production to the fashion industry, the owner talked about "food trends" being like clothing and how peoples' interests and the market for it are always evolving.

Which is why even during downtime while travelling for short stints, the "creative person" still has a keen eye for staying relevant with her work - taking pictures of interesting sights and looking for ways to reinvent them.

"I get enthusiastic because I need to be able to create and be creative, so even while I'm shutting my mind off from the business and resting, I am still always open to new things and constantly learning," she said.

Though she's unable to foresee it happening anytime soon, Mrs Gooneratne said she'll continue in business until she "doesn't enjoy it anymore".

Though if she does decide to give up Red Chilli Deli or sell in the future, she has an inkling she'll still be involved in the food industry somehow.

"My passion for the trade is still very strong, so it's hard to say for certain how I see the future unfolding there," she said.

"But for now we'll do a nice little fist pump and have a glass of champagne to celebrate our milestone and achievements; and then we'll just keep on going."

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