Story by Farai Gwaze
GHANA-based Zimbabwean, Kudakwashe Makoni has been recognised among the top 100 most influential people in the African food industry.
The recognition was made by the African Food Network, which has for years been appreciating the impact of African people in culinary arts.
Having started as a Front of House team member, before he became a cashier, supervisor, assistant restaurant manager and then restaurant manager, Makoni helped set up highly profitable kitchens in the US, UAE, Bahrain, and Zimbabwe and is currently the Group Executive Chef for Group Sebastien based in Accra, Ghana.
“Gastronomy and culinary arts are so important to me because they literally saved my life. I’d be a completely different person if I hadn’t followed this path. I’ve been doing this for 14 years and I started cooking in the kitchen with my mother. From there the passion for cooking became a reality,” said Kudakwashe Makoni.
His fusion of authentic Zimbabwean dishes has helped him stand out among other African chefs.
“Some of my favourite Zimbabwean dishes are Sadza and kapenta, with soup and fried vegetables, rice with peanut butter and gango. These are actually some dishes I’ve put on menus as I have travelled around the world doing pop-ups featuring Zimbabwean cuisine. I’ve offered these dishes in Columbia, USA, and Tokyo, even here in Ghana we have a pan-African restaurant and I have some of those dishes on the menu,” added Makoni.
Makoni urged fellow Zimbabweans looking to pursue a career in gastronomy and culinary arts to stay true to their goal and grab every opportunity that comes their way.
