Bringing Kenyan Flavours to the UK: How Sarah Okello Built Sabadema Multicultural Catering

Kenyan entrepreneur Sarah Caroline Okello has built Sabadema Multicultural Catering into a UK-based food business specialising in African, Caribbean, and international cuisine.

The company provides catering services for weddings, corporate events, cultural festivals, private celebrations, and community gatherings across the UK. Through Sabadema, Sarah has combined her passion for traditional cooking with a business focused on sharing Kenyan flavours and creating connections through food.

Sarah began her entrepreneurial journey after moving from Kenya to the UK. Like many people starting a new life abroad, she faced the challenge of adapting to a different environment while looking for opportunities to use her skills and experience.

After settling in the UK, she identified a growing demand for authentic African cuisine within the hospitality sector. She saw an opportunity to provide traditional meals that could be enjoyed at a range of events while serving communities seeking familiar flavours from home.

Sabadema Multicultural Catering was created with the aim of bringing people together through food. The business focuses on preparing authentic recipes while maintaining professional catering standards suitable for modern events.

For Sarah, food represents more than a commercial service. Traditional dishes often carry strong links to family, culture, and personal memories, particularly among diaspora communities. Through her catering work, she has helped people maintain connections with their heritage while introducing Kenyan cuisine to wider audiences.

Building the business in the UK catering industry has required careful management and adaptability. The sector is competitive and requires businesses to meet strict food safety standards, respond to changing customer needs, and deliver consistent quality at every event.

Sabadema has developed its reputation by providing reliable catering services for a wide range of occasions, including weddings, graduations, anniversaries, birthday celebrations, corporate functions, and cultural events. The company’s ability to create menus suited to different customers has been an important part of its growth.

A major part of Sabadema’s appeal is its Kenyan food offering. The company prepares traditional dishes including nyama choma, chapati, pilau, mukimo, ugali, sukuma wiki, grilled fish, and a variety of stews. These foods remain central to many Kenyan celebrations, where meals are often an important part of bringing families and communities together.

Alongside Kenyan cuisine, Sabadema also offers Caribbean and international dishes to meet the needs of the diverse communities it serves. This wider menu has allowed the business to cater to customers from different cultural backgrounds across the UK.

The company has also become involved in supporting Kenyan diaspora communities through cultural celebrations, church events, fundraising activities, and community gatherings. By providing traditional food at these occasions, Sabadema helps create opportunities for people to celebrate and share their cultural identity.

Many Kenyan entrepreneurs abroad contribute to local economies, create opportunities, and promote Kenyan culture internationally. By making Kenyan cuisine available to a wider audience, the company has helped showcase the variety and quality of African culinary traditions.