[[MUSIC]]
WELCOME!
I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN.
TODAY MY GUEST IS EUGENE NYAUNDI MANG'ERERE ….A.K.A THE RHUM BISHOP.
EUGENE JOINS US FROM KENYA…. WHERE HE HAS AN ORGANIC FARM AND PROMOTES THE FARM TO GLASS CRAFT COCKTAIL MOVEMENT….SPECIFICALLY RAISING AWARENESS OF RUM THAT IS PRODUCED IN AFRICA…..
..…...SO I’LL START BY ASKING….. EUGENE…. “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?”
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
THE RESTAURANT & BAR SCENE IN KENYA DURING COVD:
HERE IN THE U.S. COVID CASES ARE ON THE RISE….KENYA IS NO DIFFERENT...I READ THAT WITH THE RISE IN CASES, KENYA’S GOVERNMENT HAS BANNED PUBLIC GATHERINGS, MOVED UP THE NIGHTLY CURFEW TO 10 P.M., AND EXTENDED THE CURFEW UNTIL JANUARY….…...EUGENE I WANT TO HEAR HOW THIS IS AFFECTING RESTAURANTS & BARS…..ARE THEY STILL OPEN? ARE MANY CHEFS & BARTENDERS OUT OF WORK?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
RESTAURANTS & BAR CLOSURES & THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT:
HERE IN NEW YORK...BARS ARE STILL CLOSED….UNLESS FOOD IS SERVED THERE….AND YOU HAVE TO SERVE FOOD WITH ANY DRINK ORDER…...AND THAT’S THE CASE IN RESTAURANTS TOO…….MANY RESTAURANTS HAVE PERMANENTLY CLOSED HERE………..NOW, WE AMERICANS….. COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP DURING THIS CRISIS…..BUT I’D LIKE TO COMPARE OUR SITUATION TO KENYA…..WHEN RESTAURANTS & BARS ARE FORCED TO CLOSE DUE TO COVID IN KENYA…..DO CHEFS, SERVERS, BARTENDERS RECEIVE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT? IF THEY DON’T, WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO EARN MONEY?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
THE FUTURE OF BARS & RESTAURANTS:
HERE IN NY….RIGHT NOW IT’S HARD TO SEE SMALL INDEPENDENTLY OWNED BARS COMING BACK AFTER SUCH A LONG CLOSURE….I WONDER IF BARS AS WE KNEW THEM PREVIOUSLY….. WILL CHANGE….WILL ALL BARS PERHAPS SELL SOME SORT OF FOOD IN THE FUTURE…...RESTAURANTS ARE DIFFERENT…..BUT USUALLY MOST BARS ARE SMALLER THAN RESTAURANTS…..AND UNTIL THERE’S A VACCINE, GENERALLY SPEAKING INDOOR BARS AREN’T A COVID FRIENDLY CONCEPT…...EUGENE HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF BARS & RESTAURANTS IN KENYA?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
FARMING IN KENYA:
AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID LAST SPRING….HERE IN THE UNITED STATES FARMS WERE DOING REALLY WELL….ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT PEOPLE DIDN’T WANT TO ENTER GROCERY STORES, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE THEIR FOOD WAS COMING FROM, AND THEY WANTED THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HANDLING THEIR FOOD…….SO MANY SMALL LOCAL FARMS HERE WERE DOING REALLY WELL & SELLING OUT OF THEIR PRODUCE, MILK & MEAT……….THAT CHANGED AS THE MONTHS WENT ON & PEOPLE BECAME MORE COMFORTABLE WEARING MASKS & ENTERING GROCERY STORES……...HOW ARE FARMS DOING IN KENYA? HOW IS YOUR FARM? DO YOU USUALLY SELL TO RESTAURANTS & BARS OR AT MARKETS?.......
HAS COVID AFFECTED FARMERS IN KENYA?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
ALCOHOL IN KENYA:
ONE INDUSTRY THAT IS DOING EXTREMELY WELL DURING COVID HERE IN THE U.S. IS ALCOHOL….PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BUYING, SELLING & DRINKING LOTS OF ALCOHOL SINCE THE START OF COVID…...AND IT HASN’T ENDED……
EUGENE, HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT ALCOHOL SALES ARE UP IN KENYA? IF SO, HAS THIS POSITIVELY AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
TOURISM IN KENYA:
TOURISM IS DOWN EVERYWHERE….
BUT OVER THE SUMMER & FALL HERE IN NY….PEOPLE WERE & ARE STILL TRAVELING….. BUT THEY’LL DRIVE INSTEAD….NOT EVERYONE FEELS SAFE FLYING….BUT THOSE ROAD TRIPS HELP KEEP THE ECONOMY GOING……….IS THE LACK OF TOURISM AFFECTING KENYA ?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
EUGENE & KENYA:
EUGENE, FOR PEOPLE LISTENING, WHAT’S THE ONE THING THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KENYA?
AND ALSO ONE THING THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FARM TO GLASS COCKTAIL WORLD IN AFRICA?
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
TAKEAWAY:
EUGENE, THANK YOU FOR EDUCATING US ABOUT KENYA & ALL THAT YOU’RE DOING THERE…....
I LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST ASKING IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…..THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES…..
IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, A PRO TIP…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY, YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AT THE MOMENT, A BOOK WE SHOULD ALL KNOW ABOUT ? A PLACE WE SHOULD VISIT AROUND THE WORLD? A FOOD WE SHOULD EAT? …..ANYTHING……..
[[EUGENE DISCUSSES]]
…...THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... SUBSCRIBE TO “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….