Final touches are being done to The Elephant Café – on the banks of the Zambezi River – a unique restaurant which offers a delicious dining experience combined with viewing elephants and other wildlife.
Part of the Zambezi Elephant Trails (ZET) experience in Zambia, a boat trip will take guests up-river to this exclusive five-star dining venue where a memorable meal can be enjoyed whilst surrounded by ZET’s special elephant family.
At the helm in the kitchen – and the creative force behind the seasonal menu – is wellknown food blogger Annabel Hughes, who is in her element with her new appointment.
Nicknamed the “Bush Gourmet in the Zambezi Valley” Annabel will focus on making the most of local ingredients and fresh produce. “My aim is to add my own twist to fresh, simple dishes using mostly what can be found in the area.”
Annabel describes being a part of The Elephant Café as something, “I could only have dreamed of, to showcase my recipes I have been developing with wild edibles and local, seasonal ingredients here in Livingstone.
“This new venture is a gift that has uplifted my confidence, flooded my imagination and fulfilled a dream of feeding people in a way that’s unforgettable. For this I feel immense gratitude.”
Kenyan-born and educated in Zambia, Annabel has travelled widely overseas and since returning to Africa has intensified her research about wild food, “a subject I became interested in while completing the Virginia Master Naturalist programme in 2011.
“Mongongo nuts, marulas, wild sourplums, baobab and muchingachinga fruit are all found in this area. Over time I hope to develop more and more recipes using these wild edibles.”
Sharing the limelight at this exclusive river-deck restaurant is, of course, the hand-reared resident herd of elephants. The animals graze close to The Elephant Café providing diners with an unforgettable viewing experience.
Most of the ten gentle beasts were variously rescued from drought and culls decades ago and some assimilated from the wild. Over time three “babies” have been born into the herd. They now live in a safe human-monitored environment with their handlers using the “positive reinforcement method”.
The Elephant Café is due to open at the beginning of July. Be sure to reserve a table on your next visit and enjoy a meal you will never forget.