‘I didn’t think mabati could look so smart!’ That was Andreas, my elder son. We were at the Maridadi Craft Festival at the new Shamba Events space, which is next door to the Shamba Café & Shop at the end of Loresho Ridge.
And Andreas was talking about the red Dutch barn style of the permanent buildings that match those at the café and shop.
Judging by the full carparks that we saw as we passed the café, it is still the hit that it was soon after it opened a few years ago. Judging by the numbers at the Craft Festival – and its sophisticated style – the signs are that Shamba Events could well be a hit, too.
The Festival was somewhat smaller than the number of similar craft fairs in Karen, such as the Craft Market, Bargain Box and the Christmas Craft Fair. It had a similar mix of stalls: clothes, bags, jewellery, paintings, pottery, glassware and carvings. But I reckon the products on sale were more ‘high end’.
One out-of-the ordinary stall had photographs by Arthur Firmin, who was a professional photographer and a well-known and well-regarded mountaineer. He was born in Kenya in 1912 and stayed here until the year of his death, 1955.
He climbed Mount Kenya ten times, Mount Kilimanjaro ten times, and mountains in the Ruwenzori three times. He was killed by a rock-fall when he was leading an expedition of six Kenyan climbers to Mount Himulchuli in the Himalayas of Nepal. A number of his photographs on display and for sale were of mountains, but there were many of people and wildlife.
There was much to interest us, as we meandered around the tents with their variety of goods on display: canvas and leather totes and travel bags, Swahili furniture made of woods from dhows, special cheeses and jams – and much, much more.
Food and drinks were on offer in the spacious barn, with a well-stocked bar and a number of food stalls set up for the festival: pastas, focaccia with vegetables, Dutch cheeses. But I chose the hot dog stall with their German sausages and came away with a pork sausage spread with mustard.
I went back on Tuesday to have lunch at the café and a talk with Martin Mulwa, the Manager of Shamba Events. When I strolled from the café and across the wide lawn of lush green grass, I was amazed at how transformed the place was. Where the array of tents had been, there was only the old tractor that had been a climbing frame for the children on Sunday. The main red barn that had been thronged with people enjoying the foods and drinks was quite bare.
‘Yes, in the main, all we provide is the space.’ Martin said. ‘We don’t organise the events. Whatever it is, whether a wedding, a party or something like the Craft Festival, it is organised by whoever has booked the space.’
But it is a very well designed space: the main barn that can comfortably hold 300 people; two smaller barns, ideal for workshops for up to 24 people in each; the open lawn, for setting up tents – and a view across the green wooded slopes. ‘For workshops and retreats, people can feel that they are in a place like Naivasha,’ Martin said, ‘but we are only twenty minutes from the city!’
The place has been open for only three months, but already there have been many event bookings. By the way, this Sunday there is a jazz concert by the Clarisse Sisters from Mauritius. There will be welcome drinks and snacks and a free CD album for couples. The price is Sh3, 500. It starts at 7 pm, so you have plenty of time to get ready. And if you would like to know more about Shamba Events, go to www.shambacafe.co.ke/events.
