By Peter Ejiofor
Based on the fact that in the hierarchy of human needs, food is high on the scale of priorities, Nestle Professional Business recently conducted a workshop for over 200 canteen and food vendors.
The workshop by Nestlé Nigeria’s Out of Home business arm, Nestlé Professional Business, was held in collaboration with the Association of Caterers and Food Vendors in Ibadan, Oyo State, to deliver food education.
“.The business of food is therefore a very important sector of the economy, with many providers serving those with limited disposable income. It goes without saying that affordability is a major decision factor for consumers”.
The caterers, food vendors, canteens and ‘bukkas’ who serve this segment, do not always get the support they need to provide nutritious, healthy and affordable meals to their ‘customers.’,’’ a statement by Nestle Nigeria Plc, said on Thursday in Lagos.
It noted that the engagement, themed “The Business of Food’’, was organised to educate the participants and provide tips on how to grow their food service business.
“They were also shown how to cook tasty meals that will delight their customers. Outstanding cooks were celebrated and rewarded with relevant tools and MAGGI products to cook Nigeria’s favorite dishes,’’ it said.
The statement quoted Mrs Funmi Osineye, Manager, Nestlé Professional Nigeria, as saying at the event: “The collaboration with the Association of Caterers and Food Vendors provides the opportunity for Nestlé to share her expertise in Nutrition, Health and Wellness developed over 150 years with members of the association here today, and going forward”.
“We are also delighted to use this occasion to introduce the new, affordable and pocket friendly Maggi 100g powder in Chicken and Star Seasoning variants for small food business owners.
“Nestlé Professional will continue to build on this partnership with caterers and food vendors to offer better services to the industry.’’
The Business of Food event kicked off with a Cooking Masterclass, where experts shared knowledge and techniques for managing the complexities of food systems with topics including ‘food-preneur,’ food styling and food plating.
“Following the Masterclass, was the Cooking Demo, where celebrity Chef Shine, demonstrated the preparation of a vegetable soup mix of MAGGI Chicken and Star Seasoning powders.’’
Chef Shine also educated caterers on meal tasting and gave a step-by-step guide on how to cook affordable nutritious meals with a consistent taste for their customers.
The statement said that the masterclass was followed by a Cooking Competition with the caterers divided into two groups.
Each group chose three representatives for the competition. Participants were instructed to cook a ‘banging’ party jollof with the available ingredients and seasoning.
The meals presented by each group were judged based on tasty meals, meal presentation and plating.
Nestlé Professional’s food and product education workshop was packaged to equip the food vendors and caterers with the knowledge needed to optimise their food business, while using MAGGI powders effectively.
The event combined knowledge sharing with a lot of fun and engaging activities to make it memorable for the participants.
