Although it might be hard to believe when you experience his cooking, Archie fell into being a chef almost by accident. Whilst working as a barman at a pub in Perth, Scotland, he stepped in to help one evening when the kitchen was short-staffed.
It turned out to be a serendipitous moment – almost as soon as he was inside the kitchen, Archie fell in love with the atmosphere and the team spirit. Feeling that he had found a place where he truly belonged, Archie moved to England to pursue his dream and undertook a 3-year apprenticeship as a chef.

While many chefs have a signature dish that they tend to fall back on, Archie takes a different approach. He loves the challenge of coming up with new menus each day, and keeping things fresh and interesting for guests at Malewane Lodge. However, if pressed, he will admit that the truffle mushroom, pea and parmesan risotto is one of his favourites, thanks to the fact that it is rich and cheesy with lots of butter (we can vouch for just how tasty it is!).

After 15 years in SA, Archie has adapted his cooking style to incorporate local elements wherever possible, especially as guests expect this in a bush setting. However, he still describes his style as classic European – although with a distinctly South African twist to many of his dishes.
When it comes to the daily work of preparing exceptional meals, Archie says he would be lost without his 30cm cook’s knife, his combi oven and his team of talented sous chefs. In terms of ingredients, the rumour in the Malewane Lodge kitchen is that he’s currently having a love affair with roast garlic!
This all adds up to an exceptional food experience for guests at Royal Malewane – as it’s the only place to eat for literally miles around, the kitchen needs to be able to surprise and delight them by producing every kind of meal, and all of them excellent.