5 Chefs To Know On The African Continent
We feature a new set of chefs who will shape what most on the African continent and in many parts of the world will be dining on. Redefining what it means to be an African Chef, these super ambitious and talented individuals are growing to be the cream of the crop in the industry. From established faces to burgeoning restaurateurs, this crop of connoisseurs is full of talent to watch very closely.
JENNY MORRIS
Jenny Morris, who is also known as ?The Giggling Gourmet? is a favorite celebrity chef from South Africa. Jenny Morris believes that touch is just as important to food quality as taste, and insists that food must be touched and if possible, eaten by hand.
Jenny founded Giggling Gourmet in 1997 and operates a catering business while broadcasting on several television and radio shows. She lives with her family in Cape Town, South Africa.
You can catch her on The Food Network?s?Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco
For more information, visit:?JENNY MORRIS
MALCOLM RILEY
Chef Malcolm Riley is originally from Zambia, but is now based in the United Kingdom. He grew up in Lusaka, Zambia where he inherited his mother?s love of cooking and keen sense of seasoning. ?Growing up, all his meals were freshly prepared. Malcolm was an avid cyclist and had a resulting strong interest in healthy eating, organic foods, and fitness. He is known for incorporating baobab into his cooking, including baobab jam, for which he won two Gold Stars at Guild of Fine Foods. Customers can also find access to his baobab lemonade and baobab shower gel.
Chef Riley founded ?The African Chef? where he develops his products including jams, condiments, and other African tree foods. He also partners with The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation where he aids the effort to conserve endangered species. In 2013, Chef Riley won the Best Newcomer award at the Devon Life Food and Drink Awards.
For more information, visit:?AFRICAN CHEF
ALI MANDHRY
Ali Mandhry also known as Chef Ali l?artiste is a Kenyan celebrity chef and culinary instructor. He was born in Mombasa where he discovered cooking from his maternal grandparents at the age of nine. His grandfather would cook alongside him and buy him cookbooks as well in order to encourage him. Chef Ali became somewhat of a young entrepreneur, taking orders for birthday cakes from his friends and neighbors.
His passion made it inevitable that he would pursue a culinary career. He later studied at the Kenya Utalii College where he became a culinary graduate, honored as the most creative in culinary arts and the most outstanding in pastry and baking.
You can catch Chef Ali on air every Sunday at 6:00pm when he hosts?Kenyan Cuisine with a Twist, a cooking show on NTV Kenya.
For more information, visit:?CHEF ALI
RAFIH BENJELLOUN
Chef Rafih Benjelloun popularly known as ?The Moroccan Chef? is a restaurateur based in Atlanta, Georgia. Rafih was born in Fez, Morocco and his educational ambitions led him to study arts in Western Europe and in San Francisco. Formal study aside, Rafih?s culinary education began at an early age when he began to learn how to prepare his families recipes.
After moving to the United States, Rafih made it his mission to educate Americans about Moroccan cuisine and culture. He got his start at the Mamounia Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco. He later honed his talents throughout Colorado before finally ending up in Atlanta where he owns the Imperial Fez restaurant in the ritzy Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. His connection to the community has grown, drawing customers from all continents and walks of life while making a positive impact to the local residents.
With over the 20 years of restaurant ownership, Rafih?s Imperial Fez has won many awards including being named Atlanta?s “Best Romantic Restaurant” and “Best Decor” by Atlanta Magazine. He helped launch the Atlanta Restaurant Marketing and can be seen on several shows on The Food Network.
Rafih?s interests are in the arts and languages, and he is fluent in many languages.
For more information, visit:?MOROCCAN CHEF
GBUGEMI FREGENE
Gbugbemi Fregene, otherwise known as Chef Fregz was born in Abeokuta, Ogun state and grew up in Benin City, Nigeria. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management from Covenant University, as well as a diploma in Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Paris. After he completed his National Youth Service in 2009, he started a catering service named DVARD and subsequently built and grew the Chef Fregz brand, which includes the ?Chef Fregz Special” that has gained a following en masse. He is regular columnist on BellaNaija.com, Nigeria?s leading lifestyle website.
For more information, visit:?CHEF FREGZ