By Mustapha Jarju
The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) is highly anticipating organizing a two days food and beverage exposition and conference slated for Friday, 25th May, and Saturday 26th May 2023.
The beverage exposition will be held under the theme: Taste of the Gambia Embarking On A Green Culinary Journey Through Our Local Flavours.
The purpose of the exposition is geared towards encouraging hotels and restaurants to depend more on local foods.
Modou Lamin Singhateh, the Director General of GTHI speaking at the press conference organized at the school hall said this is the first edition of the Food and Beverage Exposition that the GTHI is organizing with plans of having as an annual event which will go with a Junior Chef Competition.
“We are organizing this in collaboration with the Gambia Hotels Association (GHA) and the Gambia Chef Association. We are doing this in conjunction with Bakadaji Hotel, one of the newest hotels that have just been established,” the DG stated.
DG Singhateh added that they are making efforts to bring onboard other tourism institutions to come and participate in the completion and the final winner will be announced on the closing day of the ceremony.
“This initiative is lodged by our research and consultancy department under the leadership of Honourable Petter Mendy, but most importantly the conference is on Friday while expecting distinguished Gambians to come and deliver,” he said.
Sheriff Conteh, Deputy Director General of GTHI said it is part of the GTHI mandate as a research institution to come up with concept ideas that are geared towards promoting healthy foods and re-engineering local foods in the country to meet international standards.
“The objective of this event is to link producers with the industry and the only way to do this is through such an event, and to us food is life and we believe that we have a role as a research department in making sure that we eat what we grow and grow what we eat in trying to focus on local produces,” he added.
