Larry Madowo hosts Roaming Chef Dennis Ombachi on CNN's African Voices

Retired Kenya 7s rugby player turned chef, Dennis Ombachi, is basking in the joy of being featured on CNN's African Voices, a show hosted by journalist Larry Madowo.

In his interview, Ombachi shared his passion for cooking and reflected on his rugby career. He revealed that his culinary journey began during the HSBC Rugby 7s legs, where he travelled to around 18 countries each year, immersing himself in diverse cultures, languages, and food.

Inspired by the different cuisines he encountered, Ombachi would challenge himself to recreate those dishes when he returned home.

"My love of food is intertwined with playing rugby because it started when playing the HSBC legs. We used to eat different kinds of foods.

"I used to come back home and challenge myself to try and create some of the different dishes I had here and there. I think that's how the passion grew," Ombachi said.

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Mentorship from Gordon Ramsey

To gain a deeper understanding of the culinary world, Ombachi turned to renowned chef Gordon Ramsey, learning the basics of cooking and honing his skills.

However, it was an unfortunate injury that forced him off the rugby field and into the kitchen.

How Covid-19 pandemic pushed Ombachi to cooking

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic further accelerated his culinary pursuits, as he found himself with ample time to explore and experiment with different flavors and techniques.

Ombachi's journey took an exciting turn when he began sharing his culinary creations online. His main platform, TikTok, became a significant source of his popularity, with over two million followers eagerly awaiting his mouthwatering recipes.

READ: From rugby to recipes: 'The Roaming Chef' Dennis Ombachi shares secret to viral cooking videos

Roaming Chef Denis Ombachi Pulse Live Kenya

What propelled Ombachi to viral fame was a video in which he cooked a substantial amount of food and shared it with street children.

"From time to time, I cook plenty of food and then hand it out to the kids on the streets, so I shot a video one time of me doing the same. From that video alone, I managed to gain more than 300,000 followers," he said.

His dedication and unique approach to cooking have garnered him recognition as the best content creator in Africa by TikTok.