It was exciting, exhilarating, entertaining, fun as food/drink lovers, windowshoppers, contact seekers, networking lovers, schmoozers, business entrepreneurs trooped to the venue of what is fast becoming the biggest food/drink festival in Africa: GTCO Food and Drinks.
For the three days the festival which was organised by the Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc lasted, the roads leading to Oniru waterfront, GTCentre Victoria Island, Lagos, the venue was jam packed with cars, human beings as they eagerly and expectantly thronged to the venue to experience and celebrate the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Africa with a vibrant display of flavours, aromas and culture.
As celebrity chef Gale Gand who featured in the popular American food network captures it “First of all the size, this is a really large food and drink festival and the fact that you have vendors here, that is a little different from the ones we do in the states.
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“There was not only an emphasis on wine but also on other beverages as well, so I feel this is really interesting. I am so interested in the street foods and some of your local foods. It is really exciting,” noted Gand who taught ‘Mastering creamy chocolate desserts’ in one of the Masterclass.
From the small business woman that roast yams, plantain, potatoes by the roadside to eateries, restaurants, dealers in all manners of food products, the GTCO festival presented an opportunity for them to display their culinary expertise.
It was a three days event that showcased the best of African culinary experiences. The inclusion of local dishes like abacha, ukwa, nkwobi, akara, asun etcetera is a testament to the festival’s commitment to promoting African cuisine and satisfying the taste buds of visitors from all over the world.
Moving round the different vendor shades both within and outside the main hall, you could find locals savouring the tastes and flavours of global cuisines with all its attendant thrills and frills even as the cultural artifacts and symbol such as gourds and calabashes strategically displayed were used to serve palm wine, other fruit juices reminiscent of days of yore when kids sat under the moonlight to hear folklores.
Interestingly, over 209 food and wine vendors, most of whom would have remained in obscurity, had the opportunity to expose their wares to the over 5000 people who were trooping into the venue daily.
Madam Eby, who sells roasted yams, corn, groundnut, potatoes at Adeyemo Alakija street in Victoria Island Lagos, said the festival has given her the opportunity to meet and sell to people she would not have otherwise encountered.
“The sales I make in the three days of this event is not up to what I make in three months in my little stand at Adeyemo Alakija. I was allowed to participate last year, and I can tell you that the result gave my business a financial boost.”
The woman who had her three grown up sons roasting and attending to customers while appreciating the organisers said she is sustaining her family with the proceeds from the business and the little income that comes from her children.
Now in its 7th edition, for the first time the organisers introduced a children’s baking masterclass which was the first master class out of the total classes to be held.
At a press event held prior to the event the organisers revealed that each year the festival evolves to accommodate what people need and for inclusion.
The children’s baking class, which was held the first day, provided young aspiring chefs with a wonderful opportunity to discover the joys of baking, while also fostering creativity and confidence in the kitchen. From decorating cupcakes to crafting their signature treats, children unleashed their culinary genius and developed valuable cooking skills in a fun and supportive environment under the steady eyes of the several award winning Chef, Uche Annie Ugoka.
This is just as they paraded a healthy selection of masters from all over the world for masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, and tasting sessions, along with hundreds of food retailers showcasing a diverse range of mouth-watering offerings.
While on day three, award winning chefs showed how to cook foods like Southern Coastal Cuisine, Indian Cuisine; Beyond Curry, Mexican Cuisine, Mestizaje and Culture; Je ne sais quoi – The Classic French Masterclass with a Twist, The Art of Whole Hog BBQ, and Tom Parker Bowles focused on the topic, ‘Exploring the Role of a Food Writer and Critic in the Culinary World’.
