Stanford was born and raised in Malawi where he initially worked different jobs including as a gardener and foreman at a rubber producing factory before enrolling with a catering school. He started working in a family home as the chef before they relocated back to the UK. He relocated to South Africa where he worked at the Mount Grace Hotel in the Magaliesburg. Once his time there was done he worked in Zimbabwe and then found himself back in Malawi for 15 years helping to start a new guest house. During a visit to his son in 2011, who was working in the Kruger Lowveld of South Africa for friends of Kim and Andrew, Stanford met the Halls who were just about to open Torburnlea and were on the lookout for a chef. They offered him the job and he moved his life to South Africa for a second time.
Stanford enjoys to read and continues to teach himself, as well as picking up different culinary skills from every job he’s been in. He enjoys being exposed to new people and different ideas in the hospitality industry and hosting people brings him the most joy. Stanford enjoys working in a team and the dynamics that come with it, as well as sharing skills with team members.
Outside of work Stanford grows his own vegetables on a plot of land in Malawi that he sells. He believes that the produce that he cooks with should be fresh, organic and locally produced and he enjoys planting and working with different types of produce like Marog (African spinach).
