Guy and Maureen Pickering emigrated to Malawi in 1991 with their then-small children John and Jes. While Guy worked in the tobacco industry, Maureen started Nature’s Gift Dairy which produced yoghurt, soft cheeses, and fruit juices. In 1998 they found themselves looking for a new farm to graze their “girls” and put in the successful bid for Capital Hill Dairy.

They found that tobacco and dairy farming were not making ends meet so they opened their home to bed and breakfast guests to supplement their income. Word quickly spread about their delicious food and “homey” atmosphere and their bed and breakfast has turned into Kumbali Country Lodge, one of Malawi’s most luxurious accommodation options.