Rose Prince

When Idi Amin threatened to shoot the cook

Witold Szablowski describes an innocent chef’s narrow escape when the dictator’s greedy son showed signs of indigestion

Idi Amin eating roast chicken while watching a parade in 1978. Credit: getty Images

Private chefs keep many secrets and are expected to go to their graves without sharing a morsel of gossip about their employers. Whether cooking for a pop star, tycoon or member of a royal family, chefs must guarantee confidentiality. Chatter can be career-ending or lead to lawsuits. For a few such cooks, revelations could even end in execution.

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