The VA TourismPodcast

Tour of African Gastronomy Talk Series: Chef Miriam Kaudzu discusses Malawi's Food Culture

Today’s edition is a special edition dubbed ‘’ Tour of African Gastronomy Talk Series’’ where featured chefs of UNWTO’s Tour of African Gastronomy Journal speak to us on their culinary journeys and their respective gastronomy offerings. Chef Miriam Kaudzu, an Executive Chef at Malawi’s  Sunbird Tourism plc is my guest. 
Aged 42 and a mother of 2 boys, Miriam is passionate about food and sees real cooking as more about following your heart than the recipe. She obtained a certificate in food production from the Malawi Institute of Tourism in the year 2001 and started working as a chef at Mwaiwathu private Hospital where I did my internship.
Joined Sunbird Tourism PLC in 2006 to date and currently working as Executive chef. She obtained her Advanced Diploma in Culinary Management from August 2010 to July 2011 at Business and Hotel Management School in Switzerland.

Africa Travel Week 2021: Megan Oberholzer Unpacks all you need to know

My Guest, Megan Oberholzer the Portfolio Director for Travel, Tourism, and Creative Industries at Reed Exhibitions, Organizer of the Africa Travel week outlines measures put in place to make this year’s unique WTM Virtual event exceptionally rewarding. She believes the sector has learned a lot in the last 12 months and the show will offer a wonderful opportunity to revive the tourism businesses.
Her role includes taking full accountability for the planning and operational management of all aspects of the portfolio, contributing significantly to the development and implementation of Reed’s strategy and to deliver exceptional performance through effective collaboration, management and development of others.
As part of Megan’s role, she builds closer relationships with the key players within the industry and gaining a broader insight into the fundamental issues affecting each show’s industries.
After almost 8 years working in Marketing with Tourvest, Megan joined Reed Exhibitions in 2015 as the Marketing Manager for WTM Africa and IBTM Africa where she oversaw and drove world-class branding and communications for two successful travel trade exhibitions. In 2017, Megan then assumed the role of General Marketing Manager adding the brand ILTM Africa to her portfolio. In this role, she passionately promoted the WTM Africa, ILTM Africa and IBTM Africa brands and oversaw all the events’ relative marketing aspects.
In May 2018, Megan was promoted to Portfolio General Manager for Reed Exhibitions South Africa’s Travel, Tourism and Sport department in which includes various dynamic trade and consumer shows namely; WTM Africa, ILTM Africa, IBTM Africa and FIBO Global Fitness Africa. Following a year as GM, Megan was made Portfolio Director in May 2019.Megan and her team passionately use the exhibition and eventing platforms to create opportunities for Travel & Tourism industry brands to market their products and services to a captive audience through face to face interaction using all of the 5 senses.

Voyages à travers la Gastronomie Africaine : Le Chef Rabah Ourrad nous parle de la gastronomie Algérienne et de son voyage personnel

Dans l'épisode d'aujourd'hui, le chef algérien Rabbah Ourrad dévoile son expérience de la gastronomie algérienne et africaine avec Yasmine Fofana.
Rabah Ourrad a quitté sa ville natale d'Alger à l'âge de 21 ans pour Paris, à la tête d'un groupe de rap algérien à succès, considéré comme l'un des pionniers du hip-hop nord-africain, qui a donné une voix à la jeunesse algérienne au tournant du siècle. Après avoir été signé par Universal et avoir fait le tour du monde en tant qu'interprète, il a décidé de profiter de sa présence en France pour approfondir deux éléments importants de leur identité nationale, la littérature et la cuisine.
Il est diplômé en littérature française de l'université Paris 8 et a obtenu un diplôme de gastronomie française (CAP) en passant une année intensive dans les cuisines du GRETA (école de cuisine d'État). Après avoir travaillé dans quelques-unes des brasseries les plus prestigieuses de la capitale (Brasserie Julien, le Vaudeville et le Fouquet's en apprentissage), Rabah s'installe à Barcelone où il passe deux ans à travailler dans de petits restaurants, baignant dans la cuisine traditionnelle espagnole (principalement catalane). Il devient sous-chef au restaurant El Manjador, avant de devenir chef de cuisine au restaurant El Cafeti.
Arrivé à Londres en 2009, il rejoint la brigade de Pierre Gagnaire à Sketch à Mayfair où il est exposé aux plus hauts standards de la gastronomie. Travaillant dans différentes sections pendant deux ans, il repart avec une nouvelle vision de l'artisanat culinaire, à la fois comme un art et une science.
 

Tour de la Gastronomie Africaine : Le chef Tunisien Rakia Racheg s'entretient avec Yasmine

La conversation d'aujourd'hui est une rencontre avec le chef Tunisien Rakia Racheg qui était l'un des chefs vedettes du livre de l'OMT sur la tournée de la gastronomie africaine. Il explique à Yasmine Fofana tout ce que la Tunisie a à offrir en matière de gastronomie.
Ayant appris à cuisiner très jeune pour sa famille, sa mère lui a transmis toutes les techniques et astuces traditionnelles et les secrets les plus gardées par les anciens. Longtemps reconnue pour ses repas sans égale, elle se lance dans le monde professionnel à l’hôtel Borj Dhiafa en 2006 ou elle occupe aujourd’hui la place de Chef de cuisine.
Relevant le challenge d’innover dans la gastronomie traditionnelle, elle lance le fameux Halelem aux fruits de mer successeur du Halelem aux kaddid et cartonne pendant des années grâce à cette soupe.
Elle se crée une réputation dans tout le pays, et deviens l’adresse incontournable à Sfax pour les hommes d’affaires, politiciens, chefs de gouvernements et chefs d’états.

Managing Director of Gondwana Collection Namibia Gys Joubert on Group's Silver Jubilee

The Managing Director of Namibian Hospitality powerhouse Gondwana Collection Gys Joubert narrates the Group’s 25 years journey and their plans to grow outside of Namibia. He also gives a sense of how they survived the ever-evolving coronavirus pandemic and lessons to build back better.
Gys Joubert currently holds the position as Managing Director of Gondwana Collection Namibia, one of the leading hospitality groups in the country. With over ten years of background in the banking and legal fields, he has extensive knowledge in commercial law. In 2017, Gys formally took over the reins as MD, prior having walked a path with the company as a non-executive director. He describes himself as an idealist with a strong moral code. In his own words, he hopes for the Gondwana brand to ‘bring true and holistic humanity to the corporate world’ and always representing a ‘force for good’. His overarching vision however does not only apply to the in-house brand, but extends far beyond Gondwana Collection Namibia, to the country and all her people.
 

Tour of African Gastronomy; A Conversation with Morocco's Chef El Hadi

In today’s episode, Morocco’s celebrity chef, Chef El Hadi who has enormous experience in cooking English, French, Italian, Spanish, Asian and Moroccan foods believes the continent of Africa needs to use diplomacy and marketing, and media to promote the region’s diverse culinary experiences to the world. Of British/Moroccan nationality, Chef El Hadi is an exceptional chef of many culinary talents.
Growing up in Morocco (with its great produce and vast cuisine), he started cooking as a young boy in his Mothers kitchen while she was out, and unbeknown to her, that is when his passion for cooking started. His love of creating new recipes as well as his ingenuity in the kitchen has led to his reputation for food of the highest tastes. With experience in cooking English, French, Italian, Spanish, Asian and Moroccan/Arabic food, Chef El Hadi has travelled the world to gain knowledge about food. He has cooked for celebrities in various restaurants in the UK and other parts of the world and is also a TV chef having completed several cooking programs (UK, Asia and Morocco). He is currently on Moroccan TV, daily presenting the cooking section on a very popular show and also presenting a cookery program on the Radio.
Chef El Hadi has gained great media coverage in newspapers and magazines over the years. Obtained certificates: First Aid certificate, Food and beverage management , Food Management certificate,Health, and Safety Food certificate level 1 & 2Various cooking courses

Uncovering Namibia's Unique Craft Gin

In today’s episode, Sandy Le Roux, the owner of Still house Craft gin Distillery based in Namibia’s coastal city of Swakopmund walks me through how her business survived the lock down and the uniqueness of the craft gin and its role in Namibia’s gastronomy. She tells me how they are the epitome of good spirits from fermentations to distilling - all happening on site with bottling and labeling done by hand.
Stillhouse Atlantic is a craft distillery established early in 2017 in the small coastal town of Swakopmund, Namibia. It’s a small family business run by Pierre and Sandy le Roux with some input by sons Jason and Danyon, whos curiosity first inspired the idea and passion for the art and science of craft distilling.

Franck Olivier Kra en conversation avec le ministre Béninois du Tourisme, des Arts et de la Culture Jean-Michel Abimbola

L'épisode d'aujourd'hui est une conversation avec le Ministre du Tourisme, des Arts et de la Culture de la République du Bénin, M. Jean-Michel Abimbola. Au cours des derniers mois, son ministère a fait des progrès significatifs dans sa quête de développement des secteurs du tourisme et des arts. Notre présentateur invité et membre de la Fraternité VoyagesAfriq, Franck Olivier Kra, s’entretient avec le Ministre dans ce podcast