Although, the 2019 edition of the Guaranty Trust Bank Food & Drinks Fair has come and gone, the impact of the programme has transcended its set objectives, which majorly were to project the richness in foods, promote businesses in the sector and ultimately, add up to the sector’s contributions to the economy.
The four-day historic event further drew attention to the nexus between food intake and wellness, given the belief that the best medicine can be found in food.
This was well demonstrated in the master class sessions that dealt prominently on internationally accepted standards on food preparations and handling, the fine display and handling of food by entrepreneurs and chefs as well as careful mixture of food recipes to arrive at balanced meal, amidst other hygiene processes.
All of these activities passed a message to the audience on how to go about their next domestic and commercial cooking to the fancy of health conscious food enthusiasts.
This year’s event held at the expansive GT Center in Oniru, Lagos, with thousands of food lovers and entrepreneurs thronging the centre that was filled to the brim throughout the four days. Unlike previous editions, this year’s edition was able to accommodate more than 300 food entrepreneurs,with 15 indigenous and foreign chefs who tutored food vendors on various economics of food trade that is meant to enhance and improve their businesses.
Participants were equally exposed to new trends and innovations in the food business.
The programme expansion thus gave more rooms for other social engagement that characterised the event such as business rapport, networking, entertainment/ fun, shopping, eating galore, and also an increased business opportunity for the vendors.
THISDAY engaged some food vendors and visitors in a chat, their comments further lend credence to the words of the bank’s head of communications and external affairs, Oyinade Adegite, who boasted about the economic impact of the previous editions.
According to her, the bank was motivated to continue and improve on the programme as a result of the positive reactions that followed previous editions.
She said: “We felt that banking and thought of banking need to be adjusted. This fair is about how we think of the value proposition for our customers and that is why it’s a free business platform for SMEs to execute their businesses.”
“So far, we are impressed by testimonies of participants and we are encouraged to do more.We are glad we have a platform that is helping people to create business for themselves.”\
