For Makomborero Mutezo, it all began during his late teens when he started watching the Food Network Africa channel on TV. In 2019, following matric, Mutezo enrolled at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Pretoria campus because, as he says, it “offered a unique combination of culinary arts, food and design, aligning perfectly with my dual passions for food and creativity.”
After graduating in 2021 with a Culinary Arts and Food Design degree, Mutezo built his own food design studio, which he called The Hungry Mute, a name that plays on his surname and his mission, which is to “silence the hunger of my customers”.
He now boasts seven different flavour brownies that he sells via his website – Speckled Oreo, Marbled Cappuccino, Red Velvet, Lemon Poppy, Air Mint, Orange Rhapsody, Pitori Chip (limited edition) – as well as a Gluten Free version and, for those who can’t make up their mind as to what to order, an assorted box that contains all the aforementioned flavours.
In June this year Mutezo was named one of 15 winners in the Woolworths Youth Makers 2024 competition, an initiative launched by the retail giant to find budding entrepreneurs and help them take their businesses to the next level. Given his work ethic, positive attitude, boundless energy and creative talent his is a dream that is bound to come true, so watch this space.
For more information and to purchase brownies or branded merchandise, visit The Hungry Mute website, and for the latest updates and new brownie flavours follow Mutezo on social media @thehungrymute.
Makomborero Mutezo’s recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
75g butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup chocolate chips
Method
Preheat oven to 175°C and grease a 10 x 20cm loaf tin. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth, then stir in the melted butter. Mix in the baking soda and salt, then stir in the sugar, beaten egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated, making sure not to overmix. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!