Bernice Kariuki is a renowned chef who was born and raised in Jericho, an estate in Nairobi that epitomises talent, hard work, and excellence. Jericho, otherwise known as Jeri, is the city’s football hub, as many legendary footballers have hailed from the hood’s iconic Toyoyo Stadium and played for Harambee Stars locally and professionally abroad. Robert Wangila, Kenya’s celebrated Olympic gold medalist, was also raised here in Jericho. Growing up, Bernice did not know that she would carry Jericho’s sporty spirit and the aromas of East African cuisines to the great football arenas of North London.
Early Years
Like many Jeri children, Bernice enrolled in the 8-4-4 education system. She attended nursery school at Jeshi la Wokovu in Makadara, then proceeded to Rabai Road Primary School, where she performed well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and was admitted to Precious Blood Girls for secondary education. Even then, Bernice had a decisive mind and was expelled within the first few weeks of admission in defiance of the school she did not choose. This prompted her father to enroll her at Magomano Girls Secondary School in Nyandarua. She worked hard in her new school, and the four years breezed by. After secondary school, the travel bug bit her and, she set off for Sweden at 17.
Unrequited First Love
Young and alone in Sweden, Bernice decided to take life by its horns and joined a culinary school where she pursued culinary arts for 18 months. However, being in a new country meant new food, and Bernice was not a fan of Swedish cuisine. As a result, she opted to become a pastry chef instead.
Dissatisfied with her Swedish culinary experience, she moved to the United Kingdom (UK) to pursue a different course. Her father jumped at this open window and attempted to persuade her to study medicine, but she didn’t feel called to the profession, and instead went for Psychology.
Reuniting With Cooking
Bernice only practiced Psychology for seven years before responding to the distant call of her first love and returning to cooking. She enrolled in Westminster Kingsway College in London – the UK’s leading school of hospital and culinary arts, where she graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts.
Upon graduating, Bernice set out to make her mark in the cooking world. She remarkably cooked up a storm across the United Kingdom as a chef for renowned hotels. Ultimately, she planted her feet on the soil of England’s capital, delighting the heart of London with her culinary prowess at The Lanesborough, The Dorchester, and The Waldorf Hilton hotels.
Cooking For Premier League Teams
The 2020 Christmas season rustled beautifully for Bernice, as it’s this season that ushered in the crowning point of her cooking career. While at a Christmas party in London, Bernice met Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, then an Arsenal striker, and in a typical Kenyan go-getter style, she asked the forward if there were any vacancies for chefs at Arsenal FC. To her surprise, Aubameyang hired her as his chef. And as the saying goes, the fastest way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. Bernice regaled Aubameyang with delectable meals, including East Africa’s signature aromatic dish, pilau.
Later, in mid-2021, just as Mikel Arteta took on Arsenal’s managerial mantle, Bernice joined Arsenal as a first-team private chef. And just like that, the arrow of her compass had pivoted to her true north: London Colney, Arsenal’s training centre.
Following her appointment, Bernice cooked exclusively for first-team players, the management team, and the club’s technical bench. She also doubled as a nutritionist and dietician who managed the daily well-being of the team before and after matches, and curated menus for them while traveling.
Bernice left Arsenal in mid-2023 after two years of excellent service with a heart swelling with pride and gratitude, having worked the job of her dreams. Her professional ascent wasn’t just a win for herself but an assurance to all hard-working Kenyans to take the leap of faith and see their dreams to fruition.
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