The Gorilla Highlands Experts team are now busy planning the event!

This year’s winner is Charles Kyomuhendo from Volcanoes Safaris’ Mount Gahinga Lodge . The 2019 Silverchef event was held at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel in Musanze. The hotel did a fantastic job of looking after the guest judges, media and visiting friends from across the region.

We were thrilled to have the irrepressible Jackie Lumbasi as our MC for the day.

This year’s judges were:

– Sandrine Isheja Butera, Rwanda, presenter on Kiss FM, Kigali: she brings in important experience as a judge, previously serving as the Miss Rwanda chief judge of 2018 and a panel member of the Ubuhanzi Art Rwanda talent search competition.

– Paul “Pablo” Ryckaert, Belgium, founder of BirdNest Resort, Lake Bunyonyi: as the brain and the quality assurance behind one of the best kitchens of the Gorilla Highlands region, his outspoken honest contributions have been of critical importance.

– Andrea Miller, USA, teacher and co-founder of Virunga Valley Academy in Musanze: an excellent cook herself, she is honoured to be part of an event that uplifts the chefs of the region.

– Judith Heard, Uganda/Rwanda, businesswoman and philanthropist: a daughter of a Rwandan father and Ugandan mother she represents the connectedness of our region and loves to utilise her social media platforms to share positive stories from our part of Africa.

– Claude Bigayimpunzi, Burundi, executive chef: a graduate of the Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute of Dallas, Texas, he currently helps hotels and restaurants in Rwanda as a consultant.

– Surprise guest! Chef Malonga from DR. Congo, the modern soul of African cuisine, nominee @Forbes under 30. He is celebrated in Europe and throughout the African Continent. Founder of Chefsinafrica as seen in The New York Times, CNN and BBC. Check his incredible work here http://www.dieuveilmalonga.com

Hi Coral, thanks for dropping by 🙂
If you’re writing and advising on travel, I think it’s important to try all different ways to travel. Bus travel can be tiring but they always bring the BEST travel stories!
I like your question! I love travel of course, and I love planning my trips… but I think the best part is writing about my experiences. Although that’s ‘the real work’ it’s also the most rewarding as I get to relive everything over and over again…
My life swings between crazy Kampala and life upcountry – and miscellaneous travels in between. I’m currently living in a thatched wooden cottage on the edge of Kibale Forest. We often hear elephants at night… hear chimps almost every day… and no bodas!
Do you travel?

Yes well, the food at the end of that mammoth journey was certainly worth it 😉

It’s so good to see that chefs in East Africa are honoured in this way with a competition. It’s a great initiative by the Marriot. All the photos look lovely and yum! 🙂