Singita Grumeti Reserves, an eco-safari destination in East Africa, has appointed French born Laurent Large as Executive Chef of its exclusive trio of luxury lodges in the Serengeti.

Curious as to what Tanzania has to offer, Laurent has risen to this cross-continental culinary challenge – his first encounter with Africa – after more than a decade of haute cuisine at some of the most prestigious Michelin restaurants in France.

He joined Singita from the renowned Relais & Châteaux Gourmand, 3-star Michelin restaurant, L’Espérance in Burgundy, where he worked for three years with acclaimed chef Marc Meneau.

“Besides the allure of an African adventure to pursue gourmet excellence in complete solitude, the logistical challenges given the remote location of the three lodges is what had me interested straight away,” says Laurent.

Unique cuisine styles
The Singita properties in Tanzania: Sasakwa Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp and Faru Faru Lodge, are all positioned on the epic migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest. Each has its own distinct style, which Laurent upholds in the kitchen as he oversees the head chefs and kitchen staff at each of these properties.

Set on the riverside, Faru Faru has a laid-back rustic beach feel and a relaxed cuisine style. The Sabora Tented Camp in the middle of the Serengeti plains is a bit more lavish and sophisticated, offering wholesome dishes that speak of simple elegance. Sasakwa Lodge, the flagship property situated on a ever-green plateau offers international cuisine with all the grandeur of a bygone era.

Sourcing ingredients
Laurent places emphasis on the personal preference of the guests and always opts for the pureness of unrefined local ingredients in his gourmet game lodge fare.

“I source my fish from Dar es Salaam and Lake Victoria, whilst the more inland fertile soils near Arusha and Kilimanjaro provide us with abundant vegetables and greens, freshly delivered twice a week. With the availability of fresh produce being such a scarce commodity in this part of the world we aim to grow our own vegetables as part of a greenhouse project we want to set up with the local community,” he said.

Laurent wants to erect a greenhouse in the nearby local community, Makunduzi, to cut out the long distance delivery from Arusha, nestled on the Northern border of Tanzania, in order to retain maximum freshness and flavour in his cuisine.

“Wouldn’t it be sweet if we could grow berries to make our own strawberry marmelade in the Serengeti!,” he added.

Local cooking school
In addition to streamlining his supply chain to Singita Grumeti Reserves, Laurent also wants to establish a state-of-the-art cooking school within the local community in order to establish world-class standards and skills at an early age.

Laurent’s background
Laurent grew up on a wine farm in the French countryside where he spent hours in the kitchen with his mother who taught him the wonders of organic cooking straight from their garden.

A career highlight was working at the famous La Diligence restaurant in Lentilly and honing his French culinary techniques under the guidance of the late world-renowned chef and supreme advocate of nouvelle cuisine, Alain Chapel at his 2-star Michelin restaurant in Mionnay.

Singita Grumeti Reserves inquiries and reservations can be made through email: reservations@singita.co.za or call +27 21 683 3424 or visit www.singita.com.