The Food and Drink Festival powered by the Guaranty Trust Holding Company, GTCO PLC aimed at promoting Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises, SMEs, in the country returned for its 5th edition. It returned after a two-year break orchestrated by the outbreak of COVID-19.
The three-day event which witnessed hundreds of food lovers and vendors across the country held between Saturday, April 30th and Monday, May 2nd, 2022, at the GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos.
Tagged, “Authentic Nigerian food” the free-to-attend festival featured cooking masterclasses of cuisines chosen from all around the world and over 140 free retail stalls showcasing the best of Nigeria’s street food to bite-sized gourmet treats and fresh farm produce from the farmers’ market.
Speaking about the event, the GTCO Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, said, “Africa’s history and rich cultural heritage is beautifully reflected in its cuisines. The primary objective of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is to showcase our diversity as a people whilst delivering a sumptuous culinary experience to food enthusiasts across the continent.
“As our contribution to the development of local SMEs, we want to see our retail customers who also own small businesses thrive by giving them more opportunities to connect with consumers from around the world.
“At GTCO Plc, we are committed to offering our customers and communities great experiences with every interaction and will continue to promote viable enterprises, particularly in the food and fashion industries, given the massive capabilities and countless multiplier effects inherent in these critical industry segments,” he added.
Food lovers at the Food and Drink Festival relived their experiences to a Brand Communicator reporter who was at the venue of the event.
“The Food and Drink Festival is a laudable initiative by GTCO. This isn’t something we get to see in Lagos often. It’s nice to see vendors coming together and getting to taste different delicacies. It is laudable and I’m glad to be a part of it,” Lauren said.
Another visitor, Akinbode Lawrence, who attended the festival for the first time recounted how he ended up spending fortunes on delicious meals as a way of supporting budding businesses.
Akinbode said, “This is my first time attending the festival and I must commend Nigerian business owners for their tenacity. I’m impressed with the level of products on display by these vendors. I didn’t plan to spend so much on food as I only came here to experience the festival but I ended up buying so much to eat and also taking some away as a way of supporting these businesses. I believe with the right support and platforms like GTCO Food and Drink Festival, Nigerian business owners can get it right.”
Also speaking at the festival, a food enthusiast, Obi Ejiogu, said, “The festival is an opportunity for small and medium scale enterprise to showcase their products. GTCO is a big brand and getting a stand to exhibit at the event will be a lifetime experience for the vendors. For instance, I will be ordering subsequent meals from a brand that I saw here because the food tasted great.”
Meanwhile, food and drink vendors at the concluded Food and Drink Festival said they recorded increased patronage and sales of products at the event.
They also commended the company for the platform, saying that the fair helped them to create awareness for their brand.
Ms. Elizabeth Okwechima of Ibot Exclusive Events, said despite the economic situation of the country, the sales this year have been better than previous editions.
“We are into finger foods and being a part of this year’s GTCO’s food and drink fair so far has been a great experience.
“This is not our first time and the sales this year have been amazing despite the current economic situation of the country. GTCO has been good to vendors in both the food and drink industry, helping our businesses to remain firm.”
Mrs. Kafayat Owoseni, the Chief Executive Officer of Nuts n Seeds, who exhibited at the festival for the first time, expressed gratitude to GTCO for being selected as one of the vendors at no cost.
“It’s my maiden edition of exhibiting at the GTCO Food and Drink Festival. I want to say a big thank you to the company for selecting me among the over 140 vendors exhibiting here today. I’m glad that I gave it a try by applying online. The festival has given my brand a lot of visibility even though I have been operating since 2019. The sales have been amazing since day one and I’m thankful for that.”
Asides from the food and drinks, visitors were thrilled with entertainment from a disc jockey as well as a fitted play area designed to add another layer of excitement for children and keep them meaningfully engaged throughout the festival.