Cooking for success

Birgul (Bea) Tercan. (Supplied)

Tara Murray

A Thomastown mum is using her kebab making skills to help others.

Having grown up in the industry, Birgul (Bea) Tercan, is now teaching others the skills needed to run a successful kebab business.

It has earned her a spot as a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards in the multicultural business excellence and food and beverage categories.

The winners will be named later this month.

Ms Tercan said she was proud to be a finalist and no matter the result she was already a winner.

Ms Tercans’s father owned several kebab stores across Australia, where she learnt the business and found her love of the industry.

“He worked and owned several stores in Victoria and Queensland, including the first kebab store in Bundaberg,” she said.

“He was always helping other people open shops and he would say that we have to help people.”

Having learnt the trade, Ms Tercan opened a store in Thomastown. With two young kids she later sold it and decided to form her own business, ‘B by B’.

“After working in the kebab industry for over 20 years I saw a need to train kebab owners,” she said.

“My business helps new owners start their kebab businesses from scratch and bring it into a fully operational model.”

COVID-19 has forced Ms Tercan to change her business, so she’s started to produce online videos to help out clients.

She’s also studying to help take her skills and business to the next level.

Long term, Ms Tercan wants to see her content used in schools and universities to help people learn the industry before getting into it.

She said there were plenty of benefits to balancing business and motherhood.

“The flexibility to be able to be with my family and children, to see them grow and to be a role model for my kids, as there is no age limit to learning new skills and discovering your passion.”