Food lovers converged at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park on Friday, December 26, as the much-anticipated Maggi Waakye Summit returned vibrantly, reaffirming its place as Ghana’s biggest waakye festival.
The venue came alive with colour, energy, and the unmistakable aroma of waakye, as thousands of patrons thronged the park to sample meals from a wide range of vendors and food exhibitors.
From traditional waakye served with classic accompaniments to creative variations of the beloved dish, vendors treated guests to a rich celebration of Ghanaian cuisine, all prepared with the distinctive flavour Maggi is known for.
Beyond waakye, the summit offered a variety of other food options, adding to the diversity and excitement of the event. Food enthusiasts moved from stand to stand, engaging vendors, exploring flavours, and enjoying generous servings from different waakye sellers.
Live music was a major highlight of the festival, with performances from a live band keeping patrons entertained and the atmosphere lively throughout the day.
The event also featured several giveaways, rewarding participants and adding an extra layer of excitement to the celebration.
Games and interactive activities further enhanced the experience, attracting both adults and children. Attendees took part in various activities, which drew large crowds and enthusiastic participation, fostering moments of friendly competition and social interaction.
Speaking to the media, the Category Manager for Culinary at Nestlé, Mark Okyere-Mensah, explained the motivation behind the summit.
“So for us in Nestlé, we are about good food for a good life. And it’s a festive season. And in the festive season, one of the things that brings people together is food.
“So wherever there’s a gathering of people, wherever there’s preparation of food, for us, once we play actively in the seasoning category, we want to be present,” he said.
When asked what made this year’s edition special compared to previous ones, he said, “This is the seventh edition, which means that we’ve gotten a lot of learning from the previous ones.
“And we’ve taken all the learnings and put them into action. So you see that this is more exciting, this is bigger, we’re expecting much bigger numbers.
“Already, you see the numbers here. We are crossing over 5,000 people. The expectation is that by the time we are through, we should be touching over 10,000 people, connecting directly with the brand Maggi.”
On her part, the Brand Manager for Maggi, Magherita Amon, highlighted the role of seasoning in achieving the authentic taste of waakye.
“Seasoning is the special ingredient that brings out the flavour of the Waakye stew and shito. So, without the special ingredients in there, you will not have the taste you want. And as Maggi in our seasoning, Maggi brings out the special taste or flavour that we want to have in our Waakye.
“So yes, for you to have that very authentic Waakye that tastes good, there has to be Maggi in there. Without Maggi, there’s no Waakye,” she said.
She further spoke about how Maggi supports local vendors to maintain quality and consistency.
“Nestlé is a company that is known for quality. So anything we produce is quality. So cooking with Maggi, you know that in terms of quality, you have a very good food. So any vendor that cooks with Maggi, automatically their food is coming out with quality taste, quality meal. So everyone should go for Maggi this season.
“So today we are having the Maggi Waakye Festival. And you know, it’s the end of the year, and we are having celebrations. What a better way to celebrate, not just with consumers, but with our food operators. Because it also gives them the opportunity to meet their clients, and we bring all of them together to have a big celebration.”
Overall, the Maggi Waakye Summit went beyond being just a food festival. It emerged as a vibrant cultural gathering that successfully blended food, music, games, giveaways, and community engagement. With strong patronage and enthusiastic participation from food lovers, the event once again delivered a flavourful and memorable experience, reinforcing Maggi’s connection with Ghanaian cuisine and culture.
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