I tell stories about our culture, heritage through food — Vlogger, Samuel

Tosin Samuel, CEO of TSpices Kitchen, speaks with Damola Adedigba about turning her passion for food into a business, rejecting lucrative deals that conflict with her values and her ambition to take Nigerian cuisine to the world.

You studied English Literature at Obafemi Awolowo University, yet built a career around food. Why did you choose this path?

Honestly, I never imagined that my career would revolve around food. Yes! I have always loved food, but I didn’t initially know what to do with that interest. Food blogging allowed me to express my creativity through cooking and explore something I genuinely enjoyed.

Over time, that creative outlet grew into a business, and I discovered that I could build a career around something I was passionate about.

When did you realise you were building a real business?

I realised I was building a real business when brands, businesses and individuals started reaching out to me, eager to pay for my services. It came as a surprise because I initially treated food blogging as a side hustle alongside my nine-to-five job.

However, the demand eventually became more than I could manage while keeping my job. That was when I told myself, “ This is a real business. You have to leave the other job and focus on this.

Tell us about how you started your food business?

I started with very little, probably around N1,000, because I did not have much money at the time. I had to make do with what I could afford, so I began by creating low-budget food content.

That experience taught me that you can start with what you have and where you are. You do not have to wait until everything is in place before taking the first step.

Rather than waiting and wishing for the perfect conditions, you should start with the resources available to you. Sometimes, taking that first step is what opens the door to bigger opportunities.

Your voice-overs have become part of your identity. How did that unique style come about?

My voice-overs are a natural extension of my personality. I did not have to adopt or copy a particular style; they simply reflect who I am.

I am naturally bubbly, playful and full of laughter, and my voice-overs give me the freedom to express that side of myself authentically.

I particularly enjoy receiving feedback from people who say my voice-overs bring recipes to life and give them the confidence to recreate the meals at home.

That is the goal of my brand: to help people become confident home cooks. When someone watches my videos and feels encouraged to try a recipe independently, I know I am achieving what I set out to do.

How do you decide which brands are worth attaching the TSpices Kitchen name to?

I am very selective about the brands I work with. I do not accept a project simply because the money is attractive. I take my time to research the brand and ensure that its values align with mine.

My audience is also a major consideration. I would not recommend a product that I do not use, understand or genuinely believe in.

Representing a brand comes with responsibility because people trust my recommendations. Therefore, its conduct and ethical standards must align with my values. I am not food blogging simply to make money; I want to build a legacy and a brand centred on family, culture and food.

Have you ever rejected a lucrative brand deal because it did not align with your values?

Yes, I have rejected several lucrative deals because they did not align with my values. Betting companies and forex brands are among the categories I have turned down when the products or services did not fit my beliefs.

On one occasion, I accepted an offer from a brand without initially realising that its product was alcoholic. When I received the brief and discovered this, I had to withdraw, even though I had already begun looking forward to the money.

It was a difficult decision because the offer was attractive, but I had to consider how I would explain the recommendation to my audience. Alcohol is not something I personally consume, so promoting it would not have been consistent with my values.

With so many people trusting your recipes, do you ever feel pressure to get things right?

Yes, the pressure is always there. When I started food blogging, I was experimenting and teaching myself how to cook. At that stage, I was mainly interested in trying recipes and enjoying the food.

However, things changed as more people began trusting my content and relying on my recipes. I realised that I had to become more deliberate about accuracy because people were recreating these meals in their own kitchens.

You cannot afford to confuse a tablespoon with a teaspoon when people depend on your instructions. As the brand grows, the responsibility becomes greater.

I want TSpices Kitchen to become a globally recognised brand, not just in Nigeria. That means continually improving my skills and ensuring that people can trust the recipes I share.

What is currently the biggest source of income for TSpices Kitchen?

I generate income from different sources, including brand partnerships, monetisation on social media platforms and selling products directly to my audience.

At the moment, I would say that selling products directly to my audience is my biggest source of income. I also earn from digital products, while brand partnerships and YouTube remain valuable revenue streams.

What makes direct sales particularly attractive is that they can provide a more consistent source of income. Once people know what you offer and trust your brand, they can continue purchasing your products whenever they need them.

Has the rising cost of food changed the kind of content your audience wants from you?

The rising cost of food has changed everything. Nigerians are looking for practical ways to prepare meals, and the simpler and more affordable the recipes are, the better. Before developing a recipe, I ask myself whether an average Nigerian can afford to make it.

If a particular ingredient is expensive, I look for alternatives. For instance, if someone cannot afford cheese, I explore other options they can use. The same applies to cooking cream and other ingredients that may be beyond some people’s budgets.

How do you deal with criticism and trolling?

I have come to understand that people will always have different opinions about cooking because we do not all prepare food the same way.

The way your mother taught you to cook egusi soup may be different from how my grandmother taught me. That does not necessarily mean one person is wrong; sometimes, it simply reflects different traditions and methods.

When criticism comes, I try to see it as feedback, particularly when it is constructive. I also make it clear that I am not forcing anyone to adopt my cooking style. I do not believe in responding to criticism with insults or negativity. If someone offers a useful suggestion, I am willing to learn from it and even try their method in the future.

What has been the hardest part of moving from doing everything yourself to building a team?

One of the biggest challenges has been finding people who genuinely believe in the vision and mission of the brand. Building a team that can deliver the same quality even when I am not present has not been easy, and I am still working towards getting it right.

Another challenge is maintaining the personal connection my audience has with me while expanding the business. Food blogging is a very personal form of content creation. People want to see the creator cooking, using their hands, showing their face and explaining the process.

The challenge is finding that balance between expansion and authenticity. For instance, my voice-overs are a major part of my identity, so having someone else do them might change the experience my audience is accustomed to.

I also need my audience to understand that building a bigger brand requires a team. I am still figuring out how to achieve that growth without losing the personal touch that makes TSpices Kitchen unique.

With so many food creators today, what makes TSpices Kitchen different?

I would describe it in three words: authenticity, personality and simplicity. Those are the qualities that define TSpices Kitchen.

Do you see yourself more as a food creator, a businesswoman or a promoter of Nigerian cuisine?

I see myself as all three. I am a food creator because I develop and share recipes online; I am a businesswoman because I am building a sustainable enterprise; and I am a promoter of Nigerian cuisine because I want our food to gain greater international recognition.

My goal is to put Nigerian food on the global map. I want someone in Switzerland, for instance, to be able to search online for Nigerian food, discover my content and learn how to prepare our meals, regardless of where they live.

At the same time, I understand that creativity alone is not enough to sustain a business. I must also learn how to generate income, develop products and build a brand that can grow beyond social media.

For me, these three identities complement one another.

Do you plan to take TSpices Kitchen beyond food content in the future?

Food content is a broad field, and I still feel there is so much I want to explore within it. However, I can see TSpices Kitchen gradually expanding into lifestyle, travel, family and home-related content.

I enjoy travelling, and I am currently in Rwanda on a food trip. Experiences like this give me opportunities to explore different food cultures and incorporate travel into my content.

As the brand evolves, I want to tell more stories about family culture, traditions and life at home. However, food will remain the central theme connecting everything I do.

Whether I am travelling, exploring lifestyle topics or discussing business, I want there to be a clear connection to food. That is what TSpices Kitchen represents, and it will remain at the heart of the brand.

How different is Tosin Samuel from the personality people see on social media?

I do not think there is much difference between who I am online and who I am in real life. I try to be as authentic as possible because I believe people can recognise when someone is pretending to be who they are not.

The way I laugh and express myself online reflects my personality in real life. Similarly, there are certain things I would not do offline, and I would not want to promote them online either.

For me, authenticity is important. I want people to connect with the real Tosin Samuel, not a character I have created for social media.

As a traveller, what inspired you to take your food content beyond Nigeria?

Food is a universal language, and my biggest motivation is to help the world experience Nigerian cuisine through my content.

I want to tell stories about our culture and heritage through food because meals have a unique ability to bring people together and evoke emotions. Beyond sharing recipes, I want to document and celebrate Nigerian and African cuisine on a global scale.

My dream is for someone in another part of the world to confidently say they know how to prepare Nigerian egusi soup because they learnt from my videos on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.

That is why I try to remain active across different platforms, even though managing them all can be demanding. I believe the effort is worthwhile because I want Nigerian food to receive the recognition it deserves beyond the shores of this country and continent.

Just as people around the world recognise pizza, pasta and other international dishes, I want Nigerian cuisine to become more familiar and celebrated globally.

Of the countries you have visited to explore food, which recipe or experience surprised you the most?

I have visited only a few countries, and I cannot immediately identify one food experience that surprised me the most. That is because I see every new dish as an opportunity to learn about the culture, history and people behind it.

Food is not just about ingredients; it also reflects how people live, their traditions and the stories they pass down through generations. Therefore, I approach every new food experience with curiosity rather than expecting to be shocked by what I encounter.

I have seen videos online of people eating unusual foods, but I have not personally had an experience that completely surprised me. For me, the most important thing is understanding the cultural context behind what people eat and how they prepare it.

After everything you have achieved, what major goal are you still chasing?

I am grateful for the milestones I have reached, the brands I have worked with and the community I have built over the years. However, I still feel I am only scratching the surface of what is possible.

One of my biggest goals is to build TSpices Kitchen into a global food and lifestyle brand that extends beyond social media. For me, success is no longer just about views, viral videos or the number of followers I have. It is about creating something meaningful that will have a lasting impact.

I want to build a brand that documents and celebrates African cuisine while making our culinary heritage more visible to the rest of the world. I also want to develop a sustainable business that creates opportunities for other people, in addition to providing the life I aspire to have.

Ultimately, I want to build something that will outlive me. I do not believe I am close to achieving that yet, because there is still so much more to explore and accomplish.

If you could meet the Tosin who started with a small amount of money, what would you tell her?

I would tell her, “Tosin, Oluwatosin, keep going. You have no idea how far this little beginning will take you.”

I would remind her to trust God, remain consistent and stay true to herself. The little money she started with might seem insignificant, but it was the beginning of something much bigger than she could have imagined.

I would also encourage her not to give up when results are slow or things do not go according to plan. There will be days when she questions everything she is doing, but every little step counts, including the ones nobody sees.

Most importantly, I would tell her that I am proud of her for starting before she even knew what the journey would become. She did not allow her limited resources to define what was possible, and that decision made a difference.

I would simply tell her to keep going because she has only just begun.