I am a veritable foodie and love to cook. Over the years, in parallel to my IT ‘day job’, I’ve attended several cookery courses which have included pastry making, bread making, Christmas cookery, chocolate making and pâtisserie. Some of my cakes have even been award winning! In pursuit of my passion I am now also a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef.
I was born in Zimbabwe and the word “shamwari” in Shona (the predominant language of the indigenous Mashona people of Zimbabwe) means ‘friend’ and has special meaning to me, having grown up with it as a term of endearment. The literal translation of ‘Chez Shamwari’ would be ‘at my friend’s house’. There is something very sociable and special about sitting down at a table to share food; it presents the opportunity to make new, and consolidate old, friendships. So Chez Shamwari conjured up for me the very epitomy of this. While my guests may arrive as strangers to each other, I would hope that they will leave as friends.
I love having people round my kitchen table for lunch, dinner or just coffee and cake. It’s been my dream to run a little coffee shop or tea room but has all seemed a step too far. Finding out about underground or secret supper clubs and tea rooms has been extremely exciting as I think this just fits the bill for me.
At Chez Shamwari I will have achieved my objective if the feedback from my guests is ‘I couldn’t have done better myself’. I am humbled to say that, since its inception, I have lost count of the number of times my guests have said it’s been the best afternoon tea they’ve ever had!
My kitchen is registered with Bradford Council in compliance with the food hygiene regulations 2006 and I hold the Royal Society for Promotion of Health Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene.