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.’ Nestlé Nigeria’s Out of Home business arm, Nestlé Professional Business, recently collaborated with the Association of Caterers and Food Vendors in Ibadan, Oyo State to deliver a food education workshop for over 200 canteen and food vendors.

The engagement themed -The Business of Food – was organized 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.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Funmi Osineye, Manager, Nestlé Professional Nigeria, said, “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 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.

 Topics included ‘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 mixt 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.

Then came the Cooking Competition! Caterers were 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 meal, meal presentation and plating.

Nestlé Professional’s food and product education workshop was packaged to equip 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.