- Title: Gourmet burgers laced with local flavors: Welcome to Nairobi's 'Mama Rocks'
- Date: 25th December 2019
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (DECEMBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) STOP MOTION SEQUENCE OF A BURGER BEING PREPARED MAMA ROCKS GOURMET BURGERS DIRECTORS, SAMANTHA AND NATALIE MWEDEKELI INTRODUCING THEMSELVES, SAYING (English): "Hi, I am Samantha and I am Natalie, yes and we are just going to give you a quick tour of the restaurant. So, we just about to open in the next 10 minutes, yes." TIME-LAPSE OF SAMANTHA AND NATALIE WALKING INTO THE RESTAURANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAMA ROCKS CO-DIRECTOR, NATALIE MWEDEKELI, SAYING: "So, we are kind of flexible with the way in which we serve, so our customers feel free to order at the counter or they can take a seat and the service can serve them, but this is where the magic happens, in the kitchen." VIEW OF KITCHEN STAFF WORKING VARIOUS OF PEPPERS BEING SCOOPED FROM THE GRILL BURGERS SIZZLING ON A GRILL KITCHEN STAFF PREPARING BURGERS TIME-LAPSE OF BURGER PREPARATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAMA ROCKS CO-DIRECTOR, SAMANTHA MWEDEKELI, SAYING: "We sell gourmet burgers that are influenced by cuisines from across Africa. I think we are the most heavily influenced by west African cuisine because our mother and grandmother are from Nigeria, so we grew up on their cooking and we wanted to really share West African cooking with the world because we loved it as we were growing up." KITCHEN STAFF MIXING INGREDIENTS VEGETABLE SALAD BEING MIXED IN A CONTAINER JUICE BLENDING HOT SAUCE BEING STIRRED IN A COOKING PAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAMA ROCKS CO-DIRECTOR, NATALIE MWEDEKELI SAYING: "Myself and my sister do not have culinary backgrounds whatsoever. We are not chefs, we are not trained, but we have a very good palette and we have a passion and we have a cause and at the heart of our brand are its values. We want it to be authentically African and fun and I think those are all messages that have come through in our branding and I suppose our brand is also about self-expression. We want other people to express themselves and I feel like we've inspired other young people in Kenya that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve as long as they have the passion, and they have the will." TIME-LAPSE OF RESTAURANT FILLING UP A WAITER PICKING UP A BURGER AND CHIPS ORDER FROM THE COUNTER DELIVERY PERSONNEL IN A GREEN REFLECTOR JACKET PICKING UP AN ORDER FROM THE COUNTER VARIOUS OF BURGERS BEING SERVED FOOD ON THE TABLE VARIOUS OF PATRONS EATING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAMA ROCKS CUSTOMER, MATHEW WAKHUNGU, SAYING: "What sets Mama rocks apart from other burger places; their menu, the Kopi, I am a big fan of the Kopi, so just the way they describe the meals, the names for it and also just like the environment of the place adds flavor I think to the food as well." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAMA ROCKS CUSTOMER, KIRIGO KABUGA, SAYING: "I tend to be a vegetarian and I am happy that they have veggie burgers. They have options for people like myself, but so far, the drink is here…it finally arrived (laughs), I like the vibe, the service, the energy…it's good to know that we have our African burgers because you know, burger tends to be a lot more westernized." TRACKING SHOT OF WRAPPED BURGERS ON TRAYS A PATRON BITING INTO A BURGER CHRISTMAS TINSEL ON COUNTER
- Embargoed: 8th January 2020 06:43
- Keywords: Fela Kuti Nairobi authentically African food trucks gourmet burgers west African cuisine
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- City: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Living / Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBH2ZBR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Study hard, get a good job, work hard at it, and then live happily ever after. It's the mantra that many young Africans like sisters Natalie and Samantha Mwedekeli say is repeated to them as they grow up.
Four years ago the sisters decided to go maverick and design their own route to success.
While both working in the UK, the Kenyan-Nigerian duo realized that there was an opportunity to create an African brand around the global gourmet burger trend. They also knew that their strategic edge would be the use of the extensive range of flavors and spices they picked up from their "mama" as children, as well as leveraging on their blended cultural heritage for unique branding.
"We sell gourmet burgers that are influenced by cuisines from across Africa. I think we are the most heavily influenced by west African cuisine because our mother and grandmother are from Nigeria, so we grew up on their cooking and we wanted to really share West African cooking with the world because we loved it as we were growing up," said Samantha Mwedekeli, the Mama Rocks co-director.
They opened their first outlet - a food truck - in Nairobi in 2015. I was a runaway success. The sisters have since opened a second joint - a small quirky restaurant also in the heart of Nairobi. They work with 16 staff, most under the age of 30.
"Myself and my sister do not have culinary backgrounds whatsoever. We are not chefs, we are not trained, but we have a very good palette and we have a passion and we have a cause and at the heart of our brand are its values. We want it to be authentically African and fun and I think those are all messages that have come through in our branding and I suppose our brand is also about self-expression. We want other people to express themselves and I feel like we've inspired other young people in Kenya that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve as long as they have the passion, and they have the will," said Natalie Mwedekeli, who also serves as a co-director.
The sisters describe their restaurants as "a fusion of cultures and a celebration of African through the medium of food."
Customers like Mathew Wakhungu say the sisters' flavors and branding are spot on.
"What sets Mama rocks apart from other burger places; their menu, the Kopi, I am a big fan of the Kopi, so just the way they describe the meals, the names for it and also just like the environment of the place adds flavor I think to the food as well," Wakhungu said.
Other patrons told Reuters it was great to have authentic African alternatives to western favorites.
"I tend to be a vegetarian and I am happy that they have veggie burgers. They have options for people like myself, but so far, the drink is here…it finally arrived (laughs), I like the vibe, the service, the energy…it's good to know that we have our African burgers because you know, burger tends to be a lot more westernized," said Kirigo Kabuga, a Mama Rocks regular.
Natalie and Samantha are enjoying their initial success but say their ultimate goal is "to reflect a modern Africa through our food, not the stereotypical or traditional Africa the rest of the world imagines."
(Jackson Njehia, Edwin Waita) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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