#LamideLive... That GTB Food and Drink Festival

Hi guys, Lamide Akintobi here!

The other day, i told you all about my 'asa live in Lagos encore' and you can read that post 

What i didn't mention was that the next day, i was at Day 1 of GTB’s Food & Drink Festival, which was a 2 day festival with thousands of vendors, and masterclasses from culinary geniuses from around the world. 

  

I thought it’d be a leisurely day of walking around, eating bits and bobs, popping into a Masterclass and hanging out with friends – I was kinda wrong. I planned to support my good friend and culinary/garden queen Uzo Orimalade of Uzo’s Food Labs, who was selling her delicious gourmet chin chin and some seedlings from her garden, so I made that my first stop, once I was able to park (that was a 25 minute ordeal!). The first thing that hit me was the heat. For some reason, fans and ACs didn’t seem to be doing the job, and it was a hot day outside as well, so it was like walking into a blanket of heat. This probably worked out well for those selling ice lollies, cold drinks, ice cream, etc, but for us mere humans working/walking around, it wasn't much fun. Other than that, my highlights were; being a salesgirl for Uzo, grubbing on Afrolems’ amazing food, catching up with old friends, and meeting new folks. 

The lovely Afrolems

Afrolems' delish breakfast dish - Akara waffles and eggs with sausages and pepper sauce

Uzo Orimalade of Uzo's Food Labs

You name it, they had it – Packaged soups, cold pressed juices, sandwiches and waffles, desserts, amala a la buka, and so much more. 

Sadly, the heat had most people a bit wilted and tired, but it was amazing to see all the different food innovations and creativity on display from my fellow Nigerians. Any platform that has plenty of food - from main course to dessert, traditional to ‘New Naija kitchen’ type meals, drinks – from cocktails to fancy gelatos, and items that meet a variety of needs – from pre-packaged sauces you can throw together, to greens and veggies for the health conscious, gets a thumbs up from me. 

A little nostalgia for those who'll remember these Nigerian snacks

Pre-packaged Egusi, anyone?

Well done to them for another successful event, but next year, GT, make sure all the fans and ACs are on full blast – I’ll be there!!

I had the next day to rest from the weekend, which is really what I think a long weekend is good for; go all out during the weekend, then take the extra day to recover and get ready for the rest of the week! Looking forward to the next holiday, most definitely. 

Lamide, signing out!