Mulunda Kombo is the Glenfiddich National brand ambassador, self taught chef and restaurant consultant.


Photo by Tapiwa courtesy of Glenfiddich Whisky

JOURNEY INTO FOOD

Mulunda had a rather unfortunate start in his food journey. He sustained an injury to his shoulder while playing rugby and this forced him to be in hospital for a long time recuperating and doing physiotherapy. During this time, he consumed copious amounts of hospital cafeteria food and would dream of days where he would go back home and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

After having tasted countless plates of otherwise bland hospital food, he had a deeper appreciation for good food. He started experimenting with different ingredients and developed unique recipes. He was more curious about flavours, tastes and where food came from. A skim through his Instagram page will reveal mouth-watering dishes that he has created.

He invested more time in the process of learning and researched on the work that goes behind preparing a good meal. It became a passion and a hobby and a few years later, he has managed to make it a source of income. Being able to earn from your gifts and talents is one of the most rewarding things. For a long time people have had trouble trying to monetize their gifts and it is interesting to see how Mulunda was able to create something great out of his passion.

Photo by Karan courtesy of Glenfiddich Whisky

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD

Through his company JUMUZA, he consults with people looking to set up restaurants, lounges, bars and outlets in Kenya. The company offers services like back of house, front of house, menu development and training. As the restaurant scene in Nairobi is expanding, services like this are of paramount importance. Sometimes, people who are looking to venture into the food business in the country seek out his guidance. Together, they are able to come up with something that would work for the market. He has also helped people develop their strategies and this has forced him to learn about food not only in the kitchen but outside as well.

Following the directives of the government on Kenya for restaurants to change their closing hours to 4pm in March and April, and the nationwide curfew and cessation of movement, restaurants were feeling the pressure. However, things are now somewhat returning to “normal”.

Would it still be a good idea to open a restaurant in Nairobi? He notes that if someone had the idea to start a restaurant or outlet before Covid, they should still go ahead with it. However, they would have to rethink their entire strategy. Although things are slowly picking up, the markets and consumption patterns have all changed. Some of the things that people can implement are ensuring that their standards are high to keep up with the Covid protocols and sanitation guidelines. There’s only so much you can do at these times to keep people coming back. You need to also refine the message you send your consumers as well as ensure that your service is impeccable.

 BECOMING THE GLENFIDDICH AMBASSADOR

Mulunda had been hosting some brunches in the Lake House in Tigoni with Hendricks Gin. He had also been an avid whisky drinker and had been interested in whisky for years. He would often incorporate this in his menus.

As his passion for food grew, he discovered that the way that people speak about whisky is the same way that people define food. i.e *. A whisky having a honey finish*.
He got to interact with different people from the food and beverage industry. Through his work and passion, he also landed a prestigious title as a brand ambassador of the reputable brand, Glenfiddich Whisky.


Photo by Tapiwa courtesy of Glenfiddich Whisky

COCKTAILS

Mulunda notes that what makes a good cocktail is **balance**. It does not matter what kind of cocktail you are making. You have to know what the liquids will do to each other and how the flavours will work together. There is a lot of thought that goes into making a cocktail. This is a science. This synergy will translate into the final product. He looks at cocktail making as alchemy.


Photo by Karan courtesy of Glenfiddich Whisky

“Beyond the dawa, we do not have a Kenyan cocktail. We have flavourful ingredients that can elevate a drink. When creating cocktails you have to push boundaries and innovate every day. We have to take advantage of the great ingredients (fruits, herbs and vegetables) that we have in Kenya”, he says.

His worst cocktail experience was at an *all inclusive cocktail experience* at the coast while on holiday. What he thought would be a great array of cocktails turned out to be a bad idea as the cocktails were really bad. He steers clear of all inclusive cocktail packages.

His favorite cocktail experience was recent at Revolver. For a cocktail experience to be unforgettable, the setting has to be right. The owner of the outlet made him great cocktails as they spoke about different things. Everything has been well thought through. One of the cocktails was the best whisky sour he has had in Nairobi.

For a good whisky (cocktail) experience in Nairobi, he suggests that the must-visit outlets are Revolver, Capital Club, Honey and Dough and INTI.

FOOD AND WHISKY PAIRING

When you go through Mulunda’s Instagram, you will notice that he has documented ways in which Kenyans can pair whisky with Kenyan cuisine. He also appreciates that restaurants and outlets are slowly getting flexible and comfortable with tweaking their menus to incorporate whisky. Unlike wine which has been “unlucky” for being categorised into 2 groups of either white or red, whisky has a wide classification. Rather than saying, “this whisky goes with this food”, he is trying to let people experience the journey of “When you bite this cheese and taste this single malt, what do you taste?” This approach is making whisky tasting to be a journey.

Tastings during Covid

I am sure we have all seen virtual tastings in the world of wine and whisky. Closer home, Glenfiddich Kenya had to innovate and also conduct their tastings online. Selected participants and buyers would receive the package on their door then tune in and taste with people from around the country. Mulunda conducted these tastings by taking people through the history and making of the whisky. He would then guide people on how to serve, smell and taste the whisky. People would talk about the notes that they are picking up.

In the age of Covid, he would average 3 to 4 tastings a month. They would identify the group of people who would like to participate in the tastings, the people would purchase the drinks. The drinks would be decanted into tasting amounts in the lab and then shipped to the participants address. Companies and corporate entities can apply to be part of this experience.

This is a fresh new way to experience and learn about whisky. People have appreciated this change because the process becomes personal and you can really get to taste drinks, devoid of distractions or influence on how a drink should taste. They also send the glassware and whisky tumblers to enhance the experiences.

Should you want to participate in the tasting, you can come together in a group of ie. 15/20 people and contact Mulunda through his *email. At the moment, the tasting is institutional and designed for groups.

Pre-covid, the brand ambassador’s days would normally involve a lot of bartender advocacy training, going to outlets, bars resaturants and supermarkets training on the William Grants portfolio. They also did alot of private and public tastings. They also interacted with consumers and carrying the name and vision of the product out to where it was being consumed.

However, as times have now changed, some of this work has become virtual. The team of 8 in East Africa has had to look for new ways of plugging into industries and to corporate groups. He is also doing trainings online and interacting with other ambassadors around the world. The ambassadors discuss on how Covid is affecting their markets and they come up with ways to adapt new ideas into differnt markets.

THE GLENFIDDICH RANGE

This is the most awarded Single Malt in the World. You can learn more about the rich history here https://www.glenfiddich.com/family-story/

The collection available in Nairobi, Kenya

1. The Core Range: (Original 12 year old, Solera 15, Small Batch 18 Year Old, Reserva Rum Cask
2. Meta Luxury Range: (21 Year Old Reserva Rum Cask Finish, 26 Year Old Excellence, 30 Year Old)
3. Experimental Series: (Project XX, IPA Experiment, Winter Storm, Fire & Cane). These are not always available in the market and you may have to search a little more for them.

You can get the first 2 ranges on ecommerce platforms, on-trade and off-trade outlets (restaurants and supermarkets etc.)

How to reach Mulunda
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mulunda/
Email: Click on the email tab on his instagram to message him.