Beatrice Kariuki, a Kenyan native, has recently gained international attention for her exceptional work as the first team chef for English Premier League club, Arsenal. Born and raised in the Jericho estate of Nairobi’s Eastlands, Kariuki landed the coveted position in 2021 during a transitional period for the club under new manager Mikel Arteta.
Prior to joining the Gunners, Kariuki had already established herself as a respected figure in the hospitality industry, having worked in several prestigious hotels across the United Kingdom including the Dorchester Hotel and the Waldorf Hilton Hotel, both located in London.
“May I reintroduce myself as Arsenal’s first-team private chef, a girl from the ghetto Jericho living nothing but her dreams,” Kariuki proudly proclaimed upon her appointment.
As the first team chef, Kariuki is responsible for preparing meals for star players such as Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ivory Coast’s Nicholas Pepe, and Ghana’s Thomas Partey, among others, at the London Colney training ground. She also works closely with other distinguished chefs, including executive team Chef Darren Taylor.
Given the high importance of nutrition in the English game, Kariuki and her team are tasked with managing the wellbeing and nutrition of the team on a daily basis, both pre and post-match. This includes designing healthy, nutritious menus and traveling with the team on all home and away matches to cook exclusively for the players, management, and technical team.
“Bernice cooks exclusively for first-team players, the management team, and members of Arsenal’s technical bench. Her role is to oversee the menu of the team and ensure that all the players are eating healthy and nutritious meals to support their performance on the pitch,” said Darren Taylor, the Executive Chef at Arsenal.
With her remarkable career trajectory and accomplishments, Beatrice Kariuki serves as an inspiration to aspiring chefs and young people everywhere, showing that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.
