A special present

Last week were where invited at the new house of one of our chefs. She very proudly inherited a big three bedroom house with dogs, goats, chickens and a big land to grow potatoes and vegetables. As a farewell gift we were given banana, avocado, fresh eggs and a live chicken.

Well, at home the chicken got a lot of interest from the dogs. First we left it in the garden, with the dogs inside the house, but when it got dark we had to lock it in the shower of the boys quarters. The dogs and cats are already timesharing the garden, adding a chicken in this schedule is not easy. First thing in the morning Michel made a fence, so the chicken would be protected against the dogs. Unfortunately our security guard at night stepped in it and tore the wire mesh for 3 meters. A big repair within the first 24 hours. For the first days the dogs were not allowed together in the garden. A gang of three dogs could easily get to the chicken and hunt it down. Which they did try, one by one. Little Tara manages to crawl under the fence, but since the chicken is her size and there is no help, she leaves it alone. Wodan our big guard dog prefers to climb the fence at the crack of dawn (around 6.15) and then starts to play with the chicken. The chicken survived. After locking Wodan up, he understood that he cannot grab the chicken by the neck and play with it, like he does with the cats in the morning. The chicken took her own action against the three dogs an decided to fly to the neighbours. So at dusk we had to catch the chicken and cuts the wings to keep it in. Yesterday for the first time we left all three dogs with the chicken the whole day unguarded. We came home and she was still alive. Beside chicken food she get leftover pizza and bread from Dutchess. We wonder how her eggs will taste.

Too late for the yearly update!

We keep saying things will change, we have had a number of good attempts to work less. So we have time for ourselves and even an update of the blog. Working 5 days a week, more getaway weekends, more senior staff at Dutchess. But to be honest Dutchess is taking still most of our time. Because of the successful growing of Dutchess we have finally decide to hire a manager for the restaurant and kitchen to free up our time and to professionalise Dutchess. The advert went out a few days ago. If we manage to update our blog more often, we have succeeded!

Since Christmas 2012 Dutchess has grown a lot. We are known as the best restaurant in Fort Portal. Also the guesthouse is nr 2 on tripadvisor. The new pizza oven opened on January 2013. The move was a big success. All the staff combined in one place is easier to manage. Also the setting of Dutchess is much more beautiful than the Gluepot bar, so also our clients are benefiting. The new oven is a big success. It is twice as big, but takes less than half of the firewood. Also no more heat or smoke where the pizza’s are prepared. The baking of the pizza takes now half of the time. Many improvements were implemented at Dutchess. In the rooms safes and ceiling vans, everywhere security camera’s and a second internet provider. The implementation of a Point of Sale system has made a big change. We are so used to having an electronic order system in Europe, but it is not so trivial in a developing country. To start with you need always electricity. So the POS PC and internet server have their own invertor with batteries. Michel implemented an open source POS system with all our menu and shop items (around 500 items). Our administration is now much easier and our customers get their bill in one second. The cashier make much less mistakes. Everybody happy, but nobody realises the effort it took to get an electronic bill.

The increases popularity of Dutchess has made our staff members grow to 25 people. We are now a well known employer in Fort Portal. Setting up a local business using as much local suppliers and local staff as possible has been our idea to improve the local economy. The effect of Dutchess has been much wider. We have in Fort Portal now two other places which are making pizza’s. They have hired our former chefs and even used our Italian pizza oven builder from Kampala. One of the other restaurant has made a huge investment to improve his place, new furniture, parking and also internet. They also serve cappuccino, instead of just Nescafé. Then new Indian restaurant has copied some of our menu items, even the baskets in which we serve bills. They have hired our former staff. Our well trained staff gets a job easily at another place. The positive side it that Fort Portal is getting more developed for restaurants and hotels. The increased competition makes the choice and the available quality for visitors better.

Another small success is the acquisition of a garden statue. At our marriage in 2009 we received a donations to buy a garden statue. Before we could even think of looking for one, we moved to Uganda. We did not forget about it. Last year October Heleen saw a statue in wax of a “tower” of three Guinea fowls just flying away. A couple of weeks ago the statue was finalised and made into bronze. The decision was easily made. So after 4,5 year we finally got our wedding present.

Our own short getaways have been limited the last year. A visit to the Sesse islands, lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth were very nice, but no long holiday. Heleen has left Dutchess a couple of times to Michel to do private trips as a tour leader. Besides Uganda, she went to Laos and Cambodia and will go to Madagascar in August. September 2013 we visited together Netherlands, Spain and Poland in a 4 weeks visit to Europe. The visit to the Netherlands was during Eva’s 50 birthday. Which was a big celebration with a Bird show. Michel stayed behind to help his brother, Remco, to recover from a severe operation. In April this year Michel had to go back to Spain for the sad reason of the funeral his father. The work and travelling has also delayed two major projects. The building of our own house, just out of town, has not started. We have made the designs and are planning to go to the constructor this month. We are expecting to be able to move within a year!! Other plans of horses and vegetables gardens will have to wait for this. We have also decided to postpone the finalisation of the cheese factory until after the building of our house. We are trying to set priorities right now. All-in-all we are looking back at a busy and successful year, and are looking forward to a new home and some more time to relax.

Yearly update

Michel and Heleen have not been very faithful in updating you. Since the opening of Dutchess we have not given ourselves any time to sit down.

The opening of the restaurant in Dutchess last January was very hectic. The construction of the first floor was not finished and still needs finishing touches, but we have gone far! The restaurant is running fair. We are getting known, but can receive more quests in our big garden. We first opened for lunch, then for breakfast and then also dinner. The first months we had to stay in the kitchen all the time, but now our three chefs can manage on their own.

In March we had an important visitor. Jack Luitjes , a Dutch bread baker, trained our staff for a couple of days on making bread, speculaas (a cookie) and raison bread. The speculaas and bread is a big success. The bread is being made in the wood oven of the pizzeria and looks excellent. The speculaas and bread is sold at Dutchess.

The shop at Dutchess is doing well. We call ourselves a deli. We sell bread, cheese (5 types), yogurt, ice cream, cookies, cakes, coffee, bread toppings (meat, jam, honey). Most of it is home made. But we also resell some local products like coffee, salami, honey and peanut butter.

In June we had the official opening of Dutchess. Our first room was ready, again we had to panic a bit to get the room ready in time, because the room was used by somebody from the Dutch Embassy. The opening was a big success. We served bitterballen, pizza, snacks with home-made quark and home-made pesto. The culture band was very entertaining!

In July Heleen had a friend with her family over for 3 weeks and took them around Uganda. Great to see friends again and also to show a part of the beautiful Uganda. The children loved the bungy jump and the horse riding. The parents were most impressed by the gorillas.

 The planned “monthly” getaway did take place for the second time this year in August when Michel’s parents came. We visited a lovely small Nature reserve and looked for a Sitatunga, which we saw. We also made new Sri-Lankan friends when visiting a hydro plant which is build in a valley with endangered palms. We keep saying we have to do this more often...

Finally we thought we could relax and focus on the marketing of the restaurant and guesthouse. The website is published: www.DutchessUganda.com. But no rest. The Landlord of the Pizzeria decided to stop the rental agreement. We decided to move the wood-oven to Dutchess. More construction work...

Around the same time we also got news about a possible birth of Jack Russell puppies at Heleen’s sister Eva . We had planned to go to the Netherlands in May 2013, but we wanted to add another Jack Russell to our menagerie and decided to pick it up in November. During the visit we stayed most of the time at the small farm of Heleen’s sister.

Besides cleaning stables we also helped to move a boat from the river into the meadow for repairs. A huge movement involving several trucks and a crane. But most of our visit was spend on seeing friends and family. And doing some shopping. Going by plane with a puppy of 10 weeks, 4 tv’s, a wii, 1 printer, 1 icemachine, 4 kg new cutlery for the restaurant (in total more than 100kg) was an adventure on its own.

But enough plans for the future. In January the pizzeria will move to Dutchess. In February we want to start the cheese factory. But also Dutchess is still not finished. We keep having ideas and adding chairs, tables, sunscreen for the balcony, tv, safes for the rooms... And when we have time and money we will start building the house on our hill. We bought a big piece of land (3 hectare)- half of a hill with beautiful view of tea plantations, a part of Rwenzori Mountains. It is 7 kms out of town in a lovely rural environment. But we also have other projects in mind. Horse riding safaris, keeping milk goats, some chicken or starting a chocolate factory. Everything is possible... Maybe also time for a more regular contribution to our blog.

Dutchess opened?!

After one year of building and renovation. Finally we have opened our restaurant. Excellent news. The last two days before opening were hell. Five people helping cleaning. Three people doing the last installation work. Sinks, toilets, missing wooden decoration in the floor. One person doing shopping so we can serve something. These were the first two days of “holiday “ of Heleen’s visiting family. But all the efforts were worth it.

Customers who have been here once keep coming back and we get many compliments about the food, drinks, the garden, the lovely woodwork, the design of the fences. Luckily enough no one comments on the absence of any lamps shades, the struggle to leave the restaurant in the dark with only the torch of the security guard, the limited amount of furniture, the emptiness of the internet cafe and specially the search to find the place without any sign posts.

The new staff is getting used to us and our perfection of everything made in the kitchen. If finally the dish tastes right and it goes nicely decorated on a warm plate to a customer, they can hear Heleen mumble, it took more than 40 minutes.
The place is lovely. We have an office were we can enjoy the view of our garden. The not fully grown garden has already many birds, beautiful turaco’s and sunbirds. The big tree in the back gives lovely avocados.

But how are we doing? We are exhausted. The renovation, running the pizzeria, training the new staff has taken its toll. The monthly short holiday away has take place once, in October. We are planning a new getaway for next week. In the mean time the carpenter is finishing the windows on the first floor, the electrician is putting in the wires and the mason putting tiles in the bathroom, so the building is not completely finished. Will the first floor be finished before the next high season in summer?

Holiday or Disaster?

Since 15 months we have not been on holiday together. Either the pizzeria or construction work is taking our time or Heleen is on tour. We have been travelling with family and friend, but -no offence- this is different from spending time together away from home.

Despite the rainy season, we have rain every day, we decided to take a break for FOUR whole days! Aim is to visit Kabwoya Wild life reserve on the shore of Lake Albert. None of our friends have been there. But Lake Albert is the warmest place in Uganda and we like to explore.

First I will start with all the things which went wrong. We got stuck in the vicious mud of the park twice. First time with our own car for 4 hours. Our dinner was at 22.30. Next day we got stuck with the landrover of the lodge. This took only one hour. On our way to Hoima a shock absorber of the car broke. We had to stay an extra night in Hoima. The new shock absorber and mechanic had to come from Kampala and did not arrive at 14.00 like agreed, but only at 18.30. The repair took 3,5 hours instead of 40 minutes. During the extra day in Hoima we did not dear to drive the car and the whole afternoon it was raining.


This all sounds like a disaster, but actually we had a great holiday. The construction and pizzeria were hardly discussed! We had a excellent three days in a gorgeous, hardly visited park. The very luxury lodge is build on the edge of a cliff looking down on Lake Albert. The days is the park we did not have any rain.

The getting stuck in the mud was a great experience of how to get out and which tools we need to bring next time. It also gave an opportunity to see a duiker, oribi and buffalo in the park. We went horse riding in the park and surprised warthogs, Uganda cobs, bushbuck by our presence. Michel brought home many souvenirs from the fossil hunting in the park.

The visit to the nearby fishing village was also very good. Friendly fisherman explained about drying and selling the fish and making boats. The anxious children really tried not to interfere Michel photo’s of the nets, but failed completely. It was also good to see that the oil company working in the park, did not seem to have a bad influence, only better road and more business.

We were even lucky to have an excuse to extend our holiday, because of the car break down. And we have found a good car mechanic , who is willing to bring spares from Kampala and install them right away.

We relaxed completely and did not feel like going home. But even the log trip home was nice. The new shock absorbers improved the performance of the car on the bad road. Arriving home we were lucky. No cooking, but a good pizza was waiting for us. We are planning our next trip...

A working holiday

So this time not a report from Heleen or Michel, but a report from a visitor. Last July I stayed with a friend for a month with them to help them with the pizzeria.

In the beginning the plan was to help in Dutchess, but unfortunately the building process wasn't ready yet. After arriving in Uganda we first went to Jinja to relax for a bit. Heleen came to pick us up. The car was already full with bottles and other stuff for making the cheese. To our surprise Michel was coming with us to Jinja too. But he came with more stuff. This time for the new place Dutchess. After the night in Jinja we went to Fort Portal. Not new to us, because last year we travelled with Sawadee and Heleen was or tour guide. So the pizzeria wasn't new for us either. We went there two times last year, because the pizza was sooooooooo good.
And it still is. And I can know because I think I had like 18 pizza's in a month.

At home we were welcomed by the dogs, every day again! It really felt like coming home. Not only because of the dogs, but also because Heleen and Michel totally opened their home to us. In the four weeks we helped with making cheese/yoghurt, painted the pizzeria and if it was necessary we helped with the pizzeria it self. Serving and making pizza and counting the stock. Especially painting the fence was funny. There were a lot of people walking by to watch the blond girl painting the fence. But they all
said I did a good job ;-). The make-over of the pizzeria was a success. The new colours are great, they installed a new toilet and they sorted out the electricity. Dutchess is still in the building process but it is already looking great. The fence they designed themselves is awesome. The terraces are real eye catchers.

I have a lot of respect of what Heleen and Michel are doing over there in beautiful Uganda. Not only they are managing a restaurant, building another one and making cream/yoghurt and cheese, they also made time to travel with us. I will never forget the evenings when we watched “Weeds” or “True blood” with the dogs on our laps, or the night clubbing with Heleen and the staff of the pizzeria to say goodbye to everybody.

The last week I travelled with Heleen. Unfortunately Michel was sick at the same time :-(. We went for Ishasha to see the tree climbing lions, but for the second time in my live I didn't see a lion in the whole park. And I helped to bring Heleens average down a lot. After the disappointment of not seeing a lion we also got locked up in our rooms. And off course, at that moment our phones didn't work. In Lake Mburo we almost got a hippo on our car. He was only 10 centimetres away from the car. It was dark and we just didn't see his big pink.........

So all together it was a great adventure! Heleen and Michel; thanks for everything. I will be back when Dutchess is finished!

Sky above Fort Portal

Yet another boring update

Construction work has taken all our time. The renovation of our restaurant/cheese making and the improvements at the pizzeria we are running. We follow the news of riots in Kampala, the earth quakes in Japan and early and hot spring in the Netherlands. But it is all too far away to have an effect on us. Michel is too busy being barman at the pizzeria and Heleen is trying to get grips on money flow, compared to dishes prepared.

First some pictures of the renovation. Construction work is going own as we speak. The walls inside and out have been plastered. The carpenter is putting the first window frame in place. The terraces in the back garden are now being constructed.
The renovation does give some headaches, when the plumber is just finished the guys from the kitchen break some water pipes. The electrician has to come back several times because the plaster guys have hidden a number of boxes in the wall. The water reservoir did not fit on the small tower build for this purpose. But the result is excellent. We can not wait to sit on the balcony of the first floor sipping a fresh juice or a cold beer and enjoying the town view and the Rwenzori mountains.

But “construction” is also going on at the pizzeria. The easy-to-manage pizzeria needed more changes than we expected. We are both perfectionist… Two members of staff have been replaced. The change of the barman/cashier had the most impact. Michel resorted to a night life as a barman. Going to bed at 2.00 eating pizza every day. It looked like a student life, but he just celebrated his 40th! birthday. After a month finally the new barman manages on his own. So Michel has to get up early in the morning again! Heleen is trying to control the orders and the money flow. Introducing order books (can you do without?) and whole flow of money and goods is traceable and automated. Also purchasing is getting done in bulk to reduce costs and time. More improvement projects are planned, training staff in customer care, improving workflow in the kitchen and promotion of the pizzeria (we now have a website www.GluepotPizzeria.com, are at facebook and leaflets of the menu are being spread in Fort Portal). The only item which does not need any work is the quality of the pizza’s. These has been excellent from start. Our learning curve in Ugandan business, running a restaurant and bar is steep. We are all geared up for the Dutchess restaurant!

In our spare moments (WHEN?) we make cheese, yoghurt we even made mozzarella for the pizzeria for 2 weeks, because the supplier was longer on holiday that expected. When we make 20 liters yoghurt , it is sold out within days without advertising. The same applies to fresh cheese (something between feta and mozzarella), and cream cheese (boursin). We already have a regular set of clients (lodges and individuals) interested and what is left over is sold to clients of the pizzeria.

In business!

It sounded very tempting. Pizza at your own restaurant every evening. We have a team of 6 men cooking and serving the guests. We are very lucky, they are doing a good job. We agreed we would not change to much, since the building is rented as has its limitation. But off course everything has to be better and more efficient. It has been a difficult two weeks.

Our business is based on people eating pizza and people watching soccer. It is interesting to balance the interests between these groups. Also shopping is interesting here. Some items need to come from Kampala (300 kms away), the mozzarella travels also 350 kms to our pizzeria, 3 different super markets in Fort Portal, fresh milk from the diary plant, fresh goat and beef from the butcher, pork from a different place, fresh vegetable from the market, cigarettes from the tobacco shop and 5 different suppliers for drinks. All these suppliers are necessary to keep the purchasing prices as low as possible and the availability and quality of the food and drinks the best.

The pizza still has a great tast, but it now includes judging the service, balancing the ingredients and testing the quality. Things have changed...

We started with two

Arriving from the Netherlands we took our two Jack Russels dogs Kito and Couda with us. Our collection of animals is growing. We added Snippy a fox terrier whose owners went back to the UK and did not want the dog to be 6 months in quarantine.

But in our house uninvited a collection of mice and rats added themselves. The mice preferred banana, tomato, courgette, sweet potato and kitchen utilities with a specific soft plastic. The rats had a preference for everything within hard plastic. Our outdoor bags, horse riding caps, but specific dog food and peanut powder kept in plastic boxes. The first group was not smart enough for the dogs and the Dutch mouse traps. The second group got more smart and did not get caught. We tried to lived together in peace. But when the damage got too big and they were waking us up at night with their destructive nature the decision was made. We were going to take a cat.

We ordered for a young cat so Couda, who is the biggest hunter might accept it as a puppy. After a month no kitten. During a visit to Kampala we saw an advert for kitten and decided to take one to Fort Portal. On our way back with a lovely 10 weeks old wit gray kitten, we received a call. Were we still interested in a cat? Actually no. Without our consent this tiny little white spotted kitten of probably only 4 weeks was dropped at a friend’s place.

The cats are very cute, unfortunately not all dogs agree. Every day we train one of the dogs to accept the cats as part of the household.
We have been very successful so far. With the barking of Couda in the house in the background, we can relax and sit in the garden with two cats and two dogs. So far Chui (leopard in Swahili) has not triggered any mother feelings in Couda. Couda still sees the fluffy kitten as something to hunt. We seriously hope this is just a matter of time.

So our household now consists of Kito, Couda, Snippy, Engo and Chui and the mice and rats have left us. We have lived her now for 8 months. I am not sure where will end up. If our garden was big enough we would have added some chickens....