The 7th edition of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival, which began on Friday and ended on Sunday, promised an unforgettable experience with diverse activities catering to food lovers of all ages.
This culinary extravaganza, known for nurturing African food businesses, commenced on April 26. The festival concluded on April 28 after three days of indulging in delicious flavours.
Held at Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, the festival has become a hub for both established and emerging culinary entrepreneurs.
This year’s edition, tagged ‘A Celebration of Authentic Flavours’, witnessed 12 master classes led by international chefs, including Uche Annie Ugoka, Bunny Young, Gale Gand, Aldo Zilli, and Robin McBride.
Others are Bo and Dylan, Lisa Brooks, Maunika Gowardhan, Angel Vazquez, Christophe Novelli, Tom Parker, and Ryan Mitchell.
The festival also features live cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions, and free exhibition stalls for 209 small businesses, fostering a vibrant marketplace for food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
Segun Agbaje, the group chief executive of GTCO, reaffirmed the festival’s commitment to supporting small food businesses in Nigeria.
As part of the festival highlights, chef masterclasses featured global dishes that added an international twist to the food fest. Famous chefs like Aldo Zilli and Robin McBride led these sessions, sharing their love for cooking with the crowd. Aldo Zilli delved into Italian cuisine beyond pasta, revealing the diverse flavours of Italy. Robin McBride uncovered the secrets of wine tasting, helping attendees explore the world of wine in a sensory experience.
From traditional African dishes to innovative fusion cuisines, attendees revelled in the rich diversity of flavours and cultures on display.
A quintessential West African delicacy, Suya captivated the senses with its succulent skewered beef, marinated in a compelling blend of spices and grilled to perfection.
At the day two of the GTCO festivals of foods and drinks,attendees and guests privileged to experience masterclass sessions would undoubtedly have a long lasting impressions to push for a higher expectations subsequently.
Gale challenges aspiring chefs among the masterclass never to be dismayed in their journeys of emerging qualified and certified Chef like herself while she emotionally display her 2 Medals received from James Beard awards as an inductee to American Academy of Chefs and Chicago chefs hall of Fame repeatedly.
The GTCO foods and drinks festivals of 2024 is rated as another bang and cut out innovations to the previous editions.