Nestlé Professional – Improving Food Business in Nigeria

In the hierarchy of human needs, food is high on the scale of priorities. 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.