Have you ever purchased or tasted a fantastic ingredient then had a hard time finding it again around Nairobi? You know the manufacturers are Kenyan, but you cannot seem to find that amazing product you cannot seem to get out of your head in any store around. Many sellers sight this to expensive rates for renting out space in Nairobi which hinders them from getting a permanent physical location. Soko 254 has come in to save both vendors by providing a really cool pop up market to sell their amazing products and us by allowing us to access the best products in the market at one venue.
Soko is a swahili name referring to market. This one in particular will be a pop up market, which gives it a warm, inviting feel while checking out amazing products and allowing also fun and socializing. It is a market place for all foodies and everyone who loves cooking, amateur or pro, and those who enjoy to eat and drink. I don’t know about you but I will definitely be going! Read on to find out more deets:
The brain child of Soko 254 is Maggie Muthama. She was interviewed by UP Nairobi and when asked what we should expect while at Soko 254, this is how she put it:
“People should expect to have their senses excited and awakened. We have a number of different vendors that will be selling everything from cakes, cookies, to gourmet nut butters, jams and salad dressings, to extra virgin olive oil fresh off the boat from Italy, to outdoor ovens, to beautiful hand-made ceramics, to coffee grown on a family farm, to the most amazing natural extracts. You cannot find the majority of these quality foods, and equipment in your local supermarket. But you need to know that they are locally available, and within your reach. They say “Food is music to the body, and music is food to the heart”. With that in mind the first Soko 254 will also feature a live performance by Dela, whose Swahili cover of Adele’s “Hello” has taken Nairobi by storm. So don’t miss out on what is shaping up to be a food market unlike any other in Nairobi.”
You can read the rest of her interview here.
Brands you should expect to see
Some of the brands that shall be in attendance include:
-Naisenyan foods who sell a variety of natural extracts.
-Jars of Goodness who have out-of-this-world jams. Sangria jam? PinaColada Jam? YES PLEASE! How cute is their packaging?!
-Olive oil Kenya who have among the very best REAL extra virgin olive oil in the country
-AM cafe
-Sweet and Savory
-Kenyan hand made cultlery by Eastleigh Pottery.
-Binti’s butters. They have the most amazing flavors too! How heavenly does coconut-cashew butter sound? yum!
-Cookswell Miniature jikos. So good and perfect for our sunny outdoorsy weather
-Did someone say Mango Sorbet by Need Gelato? I.WILL.BE.THERE!
-African Kaya sweet chili jams and sauces. She has an AMAZING food blog too! I will definitely get a couple of her jams and make awesome recipes with them in the coming months. You had better get a couple of jars for yourself too. :))
And many many more!
Venue
The pop up market will be located at Zen Gardens. It is a serene place, a very beautiful one and perfect for the pop up market. There shall also be live bands playing and I am so excited to listen to Dela playing her hit swahili version of Adele’s ‘Hello’. There is something really soothing and inviting about live bands that make them perfect for outdoor events.
Get your ticket!
Tickets will cost 800 shillings if purchased on advance and 1000 shillings at the gate. You can purchase this on ticket sasa. I have also pinned a post at the top of my Face Book page with the link so you can find it even more easily. Share it with your friends so that they too wont miss out on the best thing happening this March. I encourage you to make an early bird purchase. Do not be that last minute person.
What’s up for grabs
In the event that you make an early bird purchase, the organizers have something AMAZING that you stand to win. I am already JEALOUS of who ever will bag this! For one of you amazing readers of mine, you will walk away with a gift hamper which in my opinion is so bountiful. Here are some of the things included in this hamper are:
2. Cashew Coconut Butter from Bintis Life Foods
3. A miniature jiko memento from Cookswell Jikos
4. A beautiful vase and bowl from Eastleigh Pottery
5. Paradise in a Jar (Pinacoloda jam) from Jars of Goodness
6. A variety of natural extracts from Naisenya Foods
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and an afternoon with a celebrity chef who will prepare a 3 course meal for a lucky winner using Olitalia products and condiments
Get purchasing those tickets if you want to get your hands on the best goodie bag I have ever come across to date.
I will definitely be there. I cannot wait to get my hands on all the amazing products and try them out in my cooking. You know what else I am really looking forward to? Meeting some of you who will also be in attendance <3 <3. I shall capture everything on my snap chat -kaluhiskitchen, so add me :)). Hope to see you on the 19th. Let’s go down to Zen for Soko 254 next Saturday, indulge in the best of what the market has to offer, listen to great music, take cute photos and hang out :).
This is the very first Soko 254, lets make it the best ever!
-K
Hey there! My name is Kaluhi and I love food! Through my blog, I am happy to share with you my self-taught recipes, steeped in nostalgia and the happiest of memories. I hope each recipe you try out is as addictive as the previous one and is shared on a table full of love and hearty laughs!
Awesome! how do i subscribe to your blog?
never want to miss a post. keep it up, you inspire
I am still working to have that up. But you can use the subscription tab at the very bottom of each post.
OMG.. where have I been??? Learning of your blog right now and I just can’t get enough it…. Simple affordable and easy to prepare dishes…… I love I love I love already prepared the lemon infused chili omena and wow!! GOOD JOB KK… I’m glued for more
Better late than never you know! Karibu sana to the #KK family :)))