From the Front Door

‘We’ve found our Chef!’ I remember the late Steve Fitz shouting excitedly across the Angama office, sometime back in 2015. Somewhat surprised, we questioned his certainty: Who was this man? Did he really know how to cook? How could Steve possibly be so sure? Food has always been such an emotive part of Angama’s Story. How could he possibly be so sure of such an important appointment?

We were looking for someone who wasn’t set in their ways. Someone who could be trusted to lead a team of Kenyan chefs and deliver an evolving menu without it ever being too much trouble. There would be picnics aplenty, special requests, dietary requirements from across the globe: vegan, Kosher, pescatarian, Indian, Asian… you name it, and we wanted our team of chefs to be ready for it all.

We were looking for someone who — under Nicky’s steady guidance — could inspire both a love of food and a love of cooking, delivering it day in and day out across two guest-facing kitchens without missing a beat, or any buffet in sight, whilst not forgetting about our beloved staff canteen. In short, we were looking for what at times felt like a unicorn. And a Kenyan one at that.

And yet, that’s exactly what we found that fateful day in the Mara. This is how Nicky describes it: ‘Just over eight years ago, I was interviewing for the head chef for Angama Mara when in strolled Collins, as cool, calm and collected as can be. In short order, I asked him: 'Have you cooked for high-paying guests before? Have you run a kitchen that is strictly a la carte? Have you managed a team of 17 chefs preparing 3 meals a day for 60 guests? Have you heard of Ottolenghi?' The answer to all of these was a cheery, 'No'. Collins was totally nonplussed by my questions. How could I resist appointing this man, whom I instinctively knew would deliver all and more than I could ever have asked for?

We worked side by side in the Angama Mara kitchen for the first two years of welcoming guests. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated, we experimented, we failed and we succeeded in our quest of delighting guests with every mouthful.

From the front door instead of the kitchen pass, Collins led Angama Amboseli with the same cool, calm, and collected manner. Now, Ibra Hussein has stepped up as General Manager there, while Collins brings that same passion to leading the team at Angama Mara.

A professional kitchen can be a very stressful place. Yet, somehow, Collins has always managed to keep the peace and the team singing together as one. Of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing, yet Collins’ ability to keep a sense of humour in the midst of a crisis was so refreshing that it has now been written into every Angama job description. Arancini Tuesday? There’s never a crisis to be wasted and always a story to be told.

During his time at Angama Mara, it became apparent that he knew how to lead others and unite behind a common cause, and had no problem taking the initiative to start something new — especially when it was close to his heart.

As football naturally follows food, he promptly became the Manager of the Angama Football Club. Not content with just pulling the strings from the sidelines, he took it upon himself to revive the Mara Cup — a huge effort to coordinate camps and lodges from across the Mara into an extremely competitive annual football tournament, with professional referees from Nairobi no less.

Besides the charming, affable and confident Chef, there was another personality making waves behind the scenes. Slowly and quietly, without seeking recognition nor reward, he went about settling disputes, calming tempers and ensuring the entire Angama Mara team remained united. Because of this, he took on the mantle of ‘Angama Way Officer’, both mascot and keeper of our values, and it’s a virtue which I believe is the reason why our Maasai landlords in Kimana have already named him 'Saruni' — ‘he who solves others’ problems’.

With a deep understanding of the Angama Way, we knew he would find the balance in opening and running a lodge that is representative of the Kimana community and one that our community partners are proud of, to tell the Big Life story, to celebrate the Maasai and Kenyan culture of Kajiado County and to delight our guests of course, from the front door — with a can-do-attitude and a quiet chuckle never too far away.

There were many well-wishes from the Angama team just as Collin's went to Angama Amboseli, but the following two stood out:

 
‘From day one, when you hired me as your assistant in the kitchen, we have worked well together and achieved the Angama food philosophy of keeping things simple but delicious, unfussy, always generous and joyful and sometimes surprising.

You have always been there for the team and the entire lodge in managing sports, solving issues, being a financial adviser and supporting the community. I knew you would take Amboseli and its team to another level. It's great to have you lead us at Angama Mara. — Chef Evans Ondara, Collins’ successor as Head Chef of Angama Mara