The Shamba Cafe, Shop & Events Story
Before July 2018
Shamba Café & Shop organically grew into a “farm to table’’ restaurant, farm shop and garden center. The idea of Shamba Café & Shop started in 2016 when Paul and Squeaks Simkin took Michelle Gilardi to the plot. Michelle was looking for a location for her next venture in Kenya. The two-acre plot surrounded by a 500-acre farm at the University of Nairobi/College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.
Michelle reached out to Chris Wahome who came up with the design and Gakuo Ndirangu, a squash friend and structural engineer who made it all happen.
After March 2019
Beginnings at Shamba Cafe & Shop …. and Shamba Events
We broke ground in July, 2018 and opened March 8th, 2019. Sundowners, a tradition inspired by Michelle’s late brother Bruce started happening in September, 2018. Friends got together to see the building progress and Shamba take shape. Much of the wood was used to in lighting designs, tables, bao boards, picture frames and in the construction. We hosted Christmas Carols, our first ‘event’ on Dec 23rd before KPLC switched on the lights.
Cuisine
Shamba serves global inspired healthy cuisine with weekly specials and pizza from our wood fired pizza oven. It is open from 9 am daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday brunch and early dinner Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The wine list is extensive, catering to all tastes, the bar is fully stocked and we have a creative cocktail list . The shop promotes delicacies and products grown, made and produced in Kenya and a selection from the University. Some of the last coffee grown in Nairobi is specially roasted and sold in our shop. The garden centre setup is complete. We currently have a limited selection of herb, plant and tree seedlings, succulents and pots.
We look forward to welcoming you to Shamba Café & Shop.
Shamba is a peaceful retreat from the bustling Nairobi traffic, with plenty of fresh air and an incredible diversity of trees and birds. There is plenty of room for kids to play and run around and dog are welcome and some even like the dog run! There is seating both indoors and out and tables in the garden.
Shamba hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday, which offers locally grown and hand-made product. Organic vegetables are available on Wednesdays from EcoScapes located in Naivasha.
Big Thanks to…
Dex Wahome
Architect, Dexdign
Gakuo Ndirangu
The builder
Davina Dobie
Artist/logo
Please contact for commissions
Aggrey Omondi
Mystic Woodworks
Peter
Tende Arts, Zimbabwe
Tatiana Karanja
Photographer
Creative Consillium Limited
Website & Ecommerce platform
