Chefs, culinary entrepreneurs, food lovers grace GTCO food and drink festival in Lagos
Chefs, culinary entrepreneurs, and food lovers from across the world have congregated for culinary experience at the eighth edition of the three-day Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Food and Drink Festival holding in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The food and drink event, one of GTCO annual events, is calculated to be one of Africa’s most anticipated celebrations of food, drink, and culture.
According to the organisers, this year’s edition of the festival, themed ‘A shared experience’, encapsulates how every meal tells stories of culture, community, and tradition that unite people across generations and geographies.
The organisers added that the festival, which is opened to everyone for free, aimed at promoting food culture, cuisine, and enterprise.
Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO, highlighted that the festival celebrates cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit of people and brands in the food industry.
Agbaje said “It is a commitment to supporting local enterprise and creating a free business platform where food retailers can connect with customers and share unique offerings towards growth and long-time sustainability.”
Chefs and food experts from Nigeria, United States, Italy, India, France, Japan, Mexico, and other countries, taught in various master classes and networked with food lovers and brand owners.
The event featured 204 free retail stalls, series of master classes, and many exhibitions.
Apart from the buying and selling, and masterclass and networking, there were sections and sessions for children and basic school students, ensuring fun for everyone at the festival.
Participants of the festival had enough to eat and learn from, beginning with the street food vendors, cocktail makers, farmers’ market, pop-up restaurants, indoor and outdoor food courts.
Some of the major food and drinks prepared and sold at the festival, included, but not limited to, pizzas, barbecues, varieties of Nigerian and African delicacies, dry and packaged food, cocktails, ice creams and handy snacks, wines and juices, and candies and desserts, among others.
Some of the vendors at the event, who spoke the press on the condition of anonymity, expressed their gratitude to GTCO for the opportunities in connecting them to a wide range of experts and customers that have given their businesses and brands a boost.
Some of the customers, also while commending the organisers, said they have learnt how to make some exotic food and drinks from the teachings at the masterclasses, and have also enjoyed some cuisines they have not seen or heard about before.
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