Milton Isalano is a Kenyan born chef working for top premier league team, Manchester United. For more than a decade, he has served the team with healthy meals and in 2023 he was recognized by Kenya’s high Commission to the UK Manoah Esipisu during the Kenya and Friends in the park event which brought together Kenyans in the UK.
“Another Kenyan chef doing great. Bumped into Milton Isoyi, Man United chef at the #KenyainthePark event in North London. Great event serving great connections amongst the Kenyan diaspora,” said Manoah.
He is the second known Kenyan chef to work at a top premier league club after Bernice Kariuki who previously served in the same position at Arsenal FC.
Here is his story as told by WoK,
Background and Education
Born in Vihiga, he undertook training at Kenya Utali College and Kenyan polytechnic. Thereafter, he acquired a Chef’s diploma at Lancaster and Morecambe College before getting a BA in hospitality management at Salford University.
Career
He served as a pioneer senior chef at the the Windsor Golf and Country Club from 1991 to 2002. He moved to UK and in 2002 took up the job as a chef for Manchester United. He has worked under different managers including: Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, and José Mourinho.
As a chef at the club, he is required to maintain high professionalism and plan for players’ meal meticulously, especially on match days.
Manchester’s old stadium has a capacity of 75,000 people. On match day, he also has to prepare meals for a few fans who want a taste of what the club’s restaurant has to offer. Therefore, 120 chefs are usually required on match day.
Between 2010 and 2014, he was the head chef of VIP Escape Lounges at Manchester Airport in terminals one, two and three.
“Any time the first Manchester United team and Manchester city football teams flew out of the country, I served them in the lounges before they boarded the plane,” he said in a past interview. He has also served various celebrities including X factor judge, Simon Cowell.