Kitchen in the Wild aims to combine great food with great surroundings. Photo / Petros Teka
Kitchen in the Wild aims to combine great food with great surroundings. Photo / Petros Teka
Kitchen in the Wild is a series of new hosted culinary events, taking place in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring and remote locations. Here we talk to founders, chef and food writer Valentine Warner and culinary event organiser Clare Isaacs.
What is Kitchen in the Wild?
Kitchen in the Wild is a new style of travel retreat where a small number of guests gather for five nights of expert cooking demonstrations, feasting and foraging, as well as craft workshops and outdoor adventures.
The first two adventures take place in October at the spectacular El Karama Lodge in Laikipia, Kenya.
Hi, please introduce yourselves and your individual roles at Kitchen in the Wild
VW: Hello, I’m Valentine, a chef, author, and broadcaster. Having travelled widely, I follow my nose and stomach on an endless quest for something delicious, a believer that to understand any country a good place to start is through its stomach.
CI: Hi, I’m Clare, I’ve been producing events for 18 years, from large-scale festivals to intimate gatherings but always with chefs and food at their core.
How did the two of you come together to conceptualise Kitchen in the Wild?
CI: After years of collaborating at different events, we decided to combine our love of travel, nature, and food and launch Kitchen in the Wild.
It’s an amalgamation of our combined interests and friendship and we saw an opportunity to bring people together to share wonderful experiences through delicious adventure.
Founder, chef, and food writer Valentine Warner. Photo / Kitchen in the Wild
What strengths do each of you bring to the venture?
CI: While Val’s ‘curly’ mind seeks out the left field and is curious, be it through craft or ingredient, I approach things from a more practical viewpoint, we are yin and yang in that respect.
We share a broad network of incredible global chefs, but we also bring very different characteristics to the events. Val is a host and chef, guiding the guests through their experience, while I am quietly planning and making sure every detail goes smoothly. We both thrive on a challenge.
How did you select El Karama Lodge in Kenya as the debut location?
VW: We were keen to look in Kenya’s Laikipia region because of its stunning landscapes, unbridled access to wildlife and that essential feeling of being far away from the digital mayhem of daily life.
El Karama as a conservancy is properly out of the way, a wild landscape, hopping with animals and brimming with stories. We found the lodge’s design very sympathetic to its surroundings.
We quickly understood and appreciated the Grant family’s commitment to conservation, sustainability, and those they share the land with.
Clare Isaacs. Photo / Kitchen in the Wild
What’s been the most challenging part of designing a luxury retreat in a remote wilderness?
CI: The essence of being in the wild brings many logistical challenges and responsibilities so you’ve got to be able to think on your feet. The lodge is off-grid so we have to be very careful in kitchen and menu planning.
This plays to our strengths as we encourage our guest chefs to cook over fire where possible and we aren’t fans of unnecessary kitchen gadgetry.
Whilst we use as much produce from the lodge shamba (garden) and farm as possible, there is the need to bring some things in from outside, so we’ve been getting to grips with suppliers and understanding the best practices for delivery. With the local town a significant distance by bumpy road through the bush, we have to plan for every eventuality.
The climate is always a factor, simple oversights with bread or pastry, that must remain crispy and delicious given differing levels of heat and humidity. Like the expeditions of yesteryear, we have to take kitchens and furnishings into the bush and set them up to be comfortable and ready whilst looking inviting and effortless. The list goes on!
The kitchen heavily relies on fresh produce from the lodge’s shamba (garden). Photo / Petros Teka
The retreat is limited to a small number of guests. Why was it important to keep the experience so intimate?
CI: We’ve come to understand that 16-18 is a great number to create a lively and convivial atmosphere yet remain intimate enough for every guest to feel they’ve had a very personal experience.
Guests take part in daytime activities in groups of four or six ensuring they all get the attention and information needed and, of course, the joy that is expected.
Join Valentine Warner and Clare Isaacs for a culinary escape in Kenya’s untamed beauty. Photo / Kitchen in the Wild
How do you approach creating a sense of community among guests?
VW: After many years of running similar events, we feel confident when bringing a group together. The shared passions for food and adventure usually break down any barriers.
Everyone who comes has already committed to a willing adventure albeit single travellers, couples or friends, and seeing the group bond is a highlight of the whole endeavour.
Every KITW is co-hosted by the two of us, so we make sure we look after every guest from beginning to end. We seat everyone at one long table with a changing table plan each night which really brings everyone together and we know of many friendships that have extended far beyond the events.
How do you plan to integrate and celebrate local Kenyan culture and cuisine within the retreat?
VW: All the staff at El Karama are Kenyans so we are enormously lucky to draw on their talents and traditions such as music and craft. We can’t give too much away at this stage but we have some exciting plans as far as this is concerned.
When it comes to the cuisine, I think there is a lot to draw from if you stand still and understand what is around you. History, the terrain, local fare, the rivers and busy markets, nearby farms and local traditions.
I like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen talking to the local team; we learn from each other and it’s a wonderful exchange of ideas.
The lodge operates off the grid, with sustainability at the core of its ethos. Photo / Petros Teka
Outdoor activities are a key part of your concept. How do these adventures complement the culinary aspects of the experience?
CI: Part of the beauty of El Karama as our home for these events, is the ability to be outdoors all the time. The bedrooms are a mix of canvas and concrete, creating warmth and security but also letting all the noises of the bush in. Waking up to the sound of hippos splashing in the river below is a wonder.
VW: I think it’s deep within our human coding to want to gather around the fire and in nature, our default setting.
Gathered under flickering lanterns as the sun dips, the quiet crack of glowing embers, with lions groaning in the distance is thrilling.
There is something primal in a way, a real sense of freedom and to hear the clink of a glasses and chattering voices into the night under an epic spray of stars brings great joy.
What are your plans for expanding Kitchen in the Wild to other locations?
CI: We have spent over a year researching our second location [Scotland] and are getting closer to the right location all the time. It’s not a quick decision for us as there are so many factors.
Whilst we look for a remote and wild venue, the food narrative is essential, as are the people involved. We are a collaborative venture so it’s all about finding the right team with a shared vision.
Foraging in the outdoors. Photo / Petros Teka
Details
The first guest chef to oversee Kitchen in the Wild at El Karama Lodge in Kenya will be Mexican-born Santiago Lastra, owner of KOL (number 17 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List), followed by cult London chef and restaurateur Jackson Boxer.
