Sa-far-i-way from home by Kevin Barron Part 8 Executive Chef Ole Sereni Hotel Kenya
Kevin Barron is Executive Chef at Ole Sereni Hotel Kenya, Kevin shares his overseas journey, offering a Chefs' eye view, of the life of an Ex-Pat in Kenya.
PART 8 (Part 7 can be viewed HERE)
Well, well, well that was a turn up so the new GM is with us Mr Ghulam Samdani, he seems on first impression very sharp and amiable, and we seem to have a rapport early on.
He has some great ideas and visions and we should I feel and hope get back on track asap with the new GM, I tell him in no uncertain terms im behind him 110 % and I think he understand and appreciates that.
He spends a lot of time with all us HOD's one on one giving his views on direction and its good,
Exciting times ahead I clean out my closet (in the words of Eminem) and we let go (get shot) of my Exec Sous who lets say after a little digging is not exactly a team man he goes and the kitchen is a happier place, I get my work head back on and start to push lots to do, time to up the standards in the areas and offerings me thinks, the team is strong and are ready for this challenge, we overhaul some presentations and menus and things are looking good, positive times ahead.
Christmas was so so busy and we did Christmas Day breakfast actually in the National park we drive through at 7am loaded with equipment and all the food and staff past the giraffe and zebra this is mad!!
We set up and await the guests who have been picked up from the hotel and driven round on a game drive with the f and b manager who is excited as a kid on Christmas Day (oh hold on) as they saw a lion take down a gazelle on the way to the area we have set up!! We see a lioness walk across the park in the distance so here I am Christmas Day in the wilds of the park watching lions roam the savannah, amazing!
The new year comes and we are flying home new years day we have a big bash planned for our daughters 1st birthday and her Christening as well as some great meals booked at the likes of Bar Bouloud, Tom Aikens, El Celler de Can Roca and El Bulli amongst others!
The party goes so well and we have some great meals but we miss Spain through no fault of our own but hey ho.
So here I sit a year on with our new GM a great guy who has brought us on leaps and bounds, so many this happening right now, im off to India for 10-12 days to see some 5 stars there, do a food festival and some PR work, then to see I hope the Taj Mahal, then back and we will open our fine dining room in we hope October or November so much happening I asked Mark if I can take a
Good luck to all and thanks for bothering to read this rubbish lol.
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