Our Travel Chef
Vivienne Gunning
Culinary artist with a taste for local color
If you return from your next civilized Bushtracks adventure enraptured by the airline food, Vivienne Gunning is probably to blame. And if dinner beneath the stars amid wandering elephants sends you searching for proper superlatives, Vivienne, again, is suspect. As Bushtracks’ Hospitality Manager she roams African marketplaces, chats with fishermen and interrogates regional chefs in search of local delicacies to adapt, surprise and delight.
“I’ve never claimed to be a chef,” she says, “but I’m a creative, practical person who loves working with food. When I was growing up, I often had to take charge of the family kitchen. I read cookbooks like others read novels. I gather all the time: gather, combine, add. I love having people around who really enjoy the same experience. Fortunately, eating is a human essential and is something we can all share – whether in the preparation or the enjoyment.”
Her creativity faces stiff challenges at bush destinations far from the gleaming kitchens of the Western World. “Most of the time we are working in an environment where everyday amenities are not part of daily existence,” she says. “We’ve prepared over 2,000 meals at Dolicom Lodge in the Central African rainforest.”
Based on her experience, Vivienne is a harsh critic of conventional airline catering. “I prefer balanced, healthy food – never overcooked – and presented as fresh as possible,” she says.
She credits Carolyn and David Tett for allowing her the freedom to develop a fresh approach to catering on Bushtracks flights. “Our method of presenting food in the aircraft isn’t always the easiest,” she says, “but judging from the compliments we’ve received over the years, I feel we’ve created a unique standard.”
Before Bushtracks ever lands at a new destination, Vivienne is working the local markets, tasting and inventing. In Timia oasis (Niger) she found savory bread, baked to fragrant perfection in the sand. “Bushtracks has taught me a lot. I’ve discovered wonderful breads, beans, lentils, seeds, fruits and occasionally rare vegetables in Africa. One has to compromise and observe what the local people are eating. Take this, add a little bit of creativity and adjust it to the Western palate.”