East Lothian Courier | News | Chef creates a buzz in the Gambia

Saturday, 30th August, 2008

Published: Thursday, 1st May, 2008 08:00

Chef creates a buzz in the Gambia

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A DUNBAR chef is creating a buzz in The Gambia after setting up a beekeeping project to provide sustainable income for the inhabitants of rural villages.

Logan Thorburn, chef and owner of the Creel restaurant in Lamer Street, and his partner Louise Bluett, were inspired to improve living conditions in the west African country after a week-long holiday there in February.

The couple made a donation to a Gambian organisation to buy up to ten hives and beekeeping equipment to provide sustainable revenue through honey sales.

Honey bees have the potential earnings of £5 per hive every week and beekeeping equipment/training costs as little as £35.

Variety of skills

The big-hearted duo are building on the efforts of family friends Roddy and Ann Ross from Stirling who in the last 25 years have helped develop a medical centre and training centre where young Gambians can learn a variety of skills includding motor mechanics, woodwork, home science and computing

Logan said: “We felt after a wonderful holiday that we would like to give back some of the enthusiasm we had received from the local men and women there.

Logan and Louise are set to travel to The Gambia at the end of May to see how hives are progressing.

“I am very excited right now. It’s only three months since our plan was hatched and already hives have been commissioned and built, ” he said.

“This is such a marvellous way to see where our help is going and to follow work in progress with a nation that wants to go forward.”

For those who would like to get involved in the Gambian beekeeping project and want more details, Logan can be reached by email on loganfoodpunk@hotmail.com.

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