208 Vendors and 12 World renowned Chefs Takeover Nigeria’s Food Space For GTCO Food and Drinks 2023

Last weekend, GTCO Food and Drinks played host to local and international foodies and beverage lovers at the at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. The 3 days celebration of culinary excellence and beverage innovation was hallmarked by 12 Masterclasses from world-class chefs and showcased the very best in food and beverage offerings from around the world, to suit all tastes.

In a tough operating environment like Nigeria, a free platform to promote enterprises such as GTCO Food and Drinks Festival is an edge every local business or SME wants to leverage.  Consequently, every year for the past 7 years, food and drink entrepreneurs have upped their business game and turned in their applications in the hopes of being shortlisted to partake of the GTCO Food and Drinks Festival which comes with access to free stalls, branding, exposure and access to 250 thousand paying customers. The platform also allows them to engage with their customer base and learn from a confluence of other great-minded food entrepreneurs over 3 days.

This year GTCO expanded its facility, and participating vendors from 142 to 204, impacting more local businesses and providing a more robust purchasing experience for food and beverage lovers in attendance. According to Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer at GTCO. "Our aim is to provide attendees with a unique and memorable experience that will leave them inspired and excited about the future of food and beverage."

The festival featured live cooking demonstrations, interactive workshops, and informative talks on a range of topics related to food and beverage while attendees had access to a wide range of locally made or sourced food ware, cuisines, and beverages at the festival's marketplace.

Top-notch chefs with impressive culinary experiences at this year’s edition are the likes of Ire Hassan-Odukale, Jessica Craig, August Dewindt, Francesco Mazzei, Aneesh Popat, Millie Peartree, Kelvin Bludso, and more who held masterclasses to help attendees spice up their culinary skills.

A wholesome experience for the whole family, the kids were not left out of the fun as mummy and daddy went about shopping. From bouncy castles, age appropriates ball pits, obstacle courses, and many more, the kid’s play zones were packed with fun activities to keep the young ones occupied accompanied by music and the traditional popcorn with candy floss. Unfortunately, the kid’s play zone seemed to be much smaller than last year’s edition, which lead to families being escorted out of the play zone after exceeding an hour and a half to the displeasure of many parents. Thus, the entry to the kid’s play area was a trial as many parents and caregivers had to queue up for close to 2 hours to gain access to the kid’s play area.

As usual, the street style on the grounds of the Food and Drink festival was a mixture of minimalism and ultra-maximalism. Style enthusiasts took over the scene with delightful and sometimes baffling edgy ensembles guaranteed to make people stop and stare.

Overall, the 6^th edition of the GTCO Food and Drinks Festival was a delightful experience despite the rain and network outrages at intervals during the long weekend. Vendors’ pricing was moderate and competitive and GTCO’s signature ambiance and professionalism were evident and on full display.

About GTCO

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc is a leading financial services company providing banking and non-banking services including payments, wealth management, and pension fund management, with a presence across eleven countries spanning West and East Africa as well as the United Kingdom. The Group operates a diversified, Proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond. Over the years, many customers have benefited from its unique loan products including the Food Industry Credit and Fashion Industry Credit designed specifically for businesses in the food and fashion industry.

For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com