The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
IT was a hard decision when celebrity British chef, Gordon Ramsay, opted to pursue a course in hotel management after his promising football career was brought to a screeching halt due to a knee injury.
He had played for Oxford United and was spotted by a Rangers scout while playing a youth match before fate had it otherwise.
His early aptitude was in sports, but an injury changed his course and placed him on a culinary path.
He left football for good and now boasts of a string of highly-acclaimed successful restaurants across the globe.
This must have inspired our own celebrity chef, a boy from Manjoro area in Nyanga, Lucky Manjoro, who dropped out of law school to pursue Culinary Arts.
Manjoro did his primary education at Manjoro Primary School before attaining his secondary education at Mapako Secondary School in Nyanga.
He left Nyanga to pursue his Advanced Level education at Morgan High School in Harare.
Chef Manjoro
He passed with flying colours before proceeding to South Africa where he enrolled for a Law Degree.
However, it was not long before he called it quits to pursue Culinary Arts.
He now boasts of an upmarket restaurant situated at the five-star Sandalwood Boutique Hotel in Harare.
Chef Manjoro recently made headlines on social media after he hosted and prepared sumptuous and delectable meals for Grammy award winner and superstar, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, fondly known in the global entertainment circles as “Burna Boy”, at his Harare restaurant early this month.
Burna Boy was accompanied by his manager and mother, Nigerian academic and businesswoman, Bose Ogulu, popularly known as “Mama Burna.”
So good was the food that Burna Boy had to post it on his Instagram account.
“Oh man, tell me about it. It was a pleasure to cook for a person of his calibre. Burna Boy posting my food on his Instagram! OMG, I was over the moon,” said Chef Manjoro in an exclusive interview with The Manica Post.
Besides hosting international celebrities like Burna Boy, Chef Manjoro said he has cooked for a lot of celebrities and Presidents.
“Unfortunately, l cannot name them for professional reasons as most of them come in privacy and will not be comfortable to be identified.
One of the dishes prepared by Chef Manjoro
“However, a lot of them, including South African musical groups, are in love with my cuisines and they frequent my place,” he said.
He added that he owes his success to the people he works with at the restaurant.
Chef Manjoro (37) specialises in Italian, French and Asian cuisines.
Due to his mastery in cooking, Chef Manjoro has travelled to over 80 countries so far.
“My culinary passion started in Cape Town, South Africa, way back in 2008. I started working in small restaurants as a Pizza helper. Later on, my passion grew and by that time I was studying law. I dropped out of law school and started studying Culinary Arts.
“My greatest moments came in Los Angeles, the United States of America, in 2014. There, I learnt a lot and I have rubbed shoulders with celebrated Italian and Asian cooks.
“This allowed me to have a deep understanding of ingredients and techniques. Above all, I am proud to say that particular job opportunity awarded me the chance to travel all the seven seas and over 80 countries.
“My mom inspires me every day. She taught me to cook from the tender age of six. From that time, I could cook for the whole family.
“In the industry, Chef Ramsey’s story inspires me. The journey has been great and worthwhile. I am proudly running an upmarket restaurant with a five-star rating.
“I chose to be a chef because of my passion. It was not easy dropping out of law school to follow my passion in cooking, but l just had to follow my heart,” said Chef Manjoro.
He added: “Hard work and passion brought me here and when you trust in God, everything is possible.
“It requires long working hours, working during the weekends and public holidays,” he said.
Like they say, in cooking, one never stops learning.
Chef Manjoro, who is happily married and blessed with two kids, says he will continue aiming high.
