Ali Said Mandhry
Chef Ali Said Mandhry, popularly known as Chef Ali L’artiste, is a Kenyan culinary innovator who has turned Swahili coastal flavours into a global brand. Born in Mombasa in 1988, he baked his first cakes for sale at age twelve and later refined his craft at Kenya Utalii College, graduating with distinction in pastry arts. He returned as one of the institution’s youngest instructors, before leaping onto television with the hit Swahili food series Tamu Tamu on NTV and the travel-cooking show Food Time on Pwani TV, bringing everyday East African dishes to millions.
Mandhry founded L’artiste Pastry Factory, an artisan bakery that supplies hotels from Malindi to Nairobi and ships vacuum-sealed mahamri mixes to the Kenyan diaspora. His mastery of modern plating earned him a place on Forbes Africa’s “30 Most Exciting Chefs” list in 2023, and he has cooked showcase dinners at Dubai Expo and the World Tourism Forum in Lagos.
A longtime Coca-Cola Africa brand ambassador, Chef Ali also fronts IFAD’s Recipes for Change campaign, travelling to smallholder farms to highlight climate-smart ingredients. Through the Ali L’artiste Culinary Academy he trains disenfranchised youth, 70 percent women, in cost-effective gastronomy, proving that celebrating local produce can create jobs, preserve culture, and delight palates worldwide.