Virginia Mthabini, affectionately known as VG and to me, she is The Queen of Soups!
Virginia started at Londolozi in 2000, starting her career in the scullery. She then moved to the kitchen in 2003 where she did all the salad preparation and starter preparations. She also was responsible for the game drive snacks. In 2005, Virginia was promoted to being a Varty Camp Senior Chef. She headed up Varty Camp Kitchen for 3 years until 2008 where she was promoted to Tree Camp as a Chef de Partie. She was then moved to Founders Camp where she worked her magic before again moving to Sous Chef of Pioneer Camp.
Other than being a stalwart Chef in the Londolozi Kitchen Team, encouraging and teaching the younger chefs, there is no one else that can quite make soups like Virginia – she has a natural talent, a pure passion and an incredible taste for making soup – hence the reason our most wanted recipes are Soups!
In her spare time, VG has a small business where she sells clothes and snacks within her community. She is an integral part of the Londolozi Ladies Choir.
Virginia has one daughter called Pearsley who is her most favourite ingredient in life!
Virginia’s other great love is that for Freddy, the Founder’s butler, they have been together for 13 years!
Written by Anna Ridgewell
Oh how i miss VG and her beef and barley soup!! Great memories standing around the Tree Camp buffet table with her 🙂
We will be back in about 6 weeks and can’t wait to see Virginia’s beautiful smile once again. We love her!!! (And you too, Anna!!)
xxooxxooxx
The chilled soups we had for lunch were amazing, the only problem now is Alan expects me to duplicate them! All the food was superb, you have a great team Anna x
Hello Anna, how nice to get to know about your wonderful staff at Londolozi. Thanks for that. How about sharing some recipes for us that cannot get to your beautiful reserve? especially Butternut as I have 15 that I have grown in my little garden?? Hope to hear from you 🙂
Keep up the good work Virginia
Hey VG,
We certainly were happy you were not on leave the first 6 days of our visit last month. I have been making the chilled soups since our return plus other great dishes shared by Petunia and Bussi. All praise to the wonderful staff!
Virgy your not only a great chef but an extraordinary mom. love you mama, you re the magic ingredient.