The vendors disclosed this in separate interviews the
granted the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos.
They commended the company for the platform, saying the fair
helped them to create awareness for their products.
Deborah Peter, a representative of Salad Ville, who said
that the sales at fair had been great, expressed gratitude to the GTCO Group
for the opportunity.
Peter said: “We are food vendors, we deal on healthy meals
and eating right generally.
“This is our first time at the GTCO Food and Drink fair and
the visibility for our brand has been great.
“Our sales from Day One of the fair have been tremendous and
created a space for our brand in the sale of healthy meals.
“The GTCO fair is working wonders for our business and we
believe we will retain most of our customers even after the fair today.
“GTCO thank you for the opportunity to showcase our brand,
it is an awesome exposure for us.
“It is a turning point for our business and other vendors
participating at the fair.”
To Elizabeth Okwechima of Ibot Exclusive Events, in spite of
the economic situation of the country, “the sales this year has been better
than previous editions.
“We are into finger foods and being a part of this year’s
GTCO’s food and drink fair so far has been a great experience.
“This is not our first time and the sales this year have
been amazing despite the current economic situation of the country.
“GTCO has been good to vendors in both the food and drink
industry, helping our businesses to remain firm.”
Oluwabusayo Ajadi, the representative of Tiger Nuts
Republic, said asides the record of increased sales, the fair gave his brand
more visibility in the sector.
Ajadi said: “We do tiger nuts products.
“We currently have 21 variants of tiger nuts milk and four
variant of the swallow meals and cereals.
“The GTCO fair is an opportunity for us to create more
awareness for our products.
“From Day one of the fair till this moment our customers
base has increased greatly and today being the last day, we hope for more
customers.
“Sales have been great this year compared to previous years
outing.
“We want to say a big thank you to GTCO for this opportunity
to showcase our brand to the world via this platform.”
Another two-time vendor at the fair, Ferdinand Christopher
of Amazing Meals Kitchen, also expressed his enjoy at increased patronage.
Christopher said: “We make canapés, sandwiches and local
cuisine.
“This is our second time at the GTCO Food and Drink fair.
“This year the sales started poorly on Day One of the fair
but on the Day Two, it picked up and today it has been great so far.
“We have also been able to broaden our customer base, thanks
to this opportunity given to the Small and Medium Enterprises in the food and
drink sector.”
Customers and other participants at the fair also spoke to
NAN on their experiences since the event commenced.
Tayo Oyawole, a customer, said she enjoyed the ambience of
the fair but complained about some prices of the meals.
Oyawole said: “It is my first time at GTCO’s Food and Drink
fair as a customer.
“I have gone around and I like what I am seeing, I love the
ambience but the prices of some food items are not so fair.”
Another customer, Monisola Olajide, on her part was
comfortable with the prices and hoped to patronise the vendors after the fair.
Olajide said: “Today is my first time at the fair and it has
been an amazing experience.
“There are different varieties of food at affordable prices.
“I am having a good time and will look out for some of the
vendors outside the fair to patronise them.”
Moyo Fayorkun, another customer at the fair, expressed mixed
feelings about the prices of food at the fair.
Fayorkun said: “This is my second day at the GTCO Food and
Drink fair.
“Day Two of the fair was very rowdy that is why I had to
come early on this last day.
“I came for the fun and for my children to be entertained at
the playground section of the fair.
“Some prices of food we see here are on the high side, but
not all.
“I might not patronise some expensive vendors outside the
fair, if they maintain the same prices.”
The free to attend three-day festival featured cooking
masterclasses of cuisines chosen from all around the world and over 150 free
retail stalls showcasing everything from the best of Nigeria’s street food to
bite-sized gourmet treats and fresh farm produce from the farmers’ market.
The primary objective of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is
to showcase Nigeria’s diversity and industry as a people, whilst delivering a
sumptuous culinary experience to food enthusiasts across the continent.
The fair returned after a two-year break orchestrated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.