By Yemisi Suleiman
Uche Annie Uzoka, the renowned global chef and founder of Gourmet Twist, a rapidly growing culinary brand, trained over 300 children at a Baking Masterclass, on Friday, April 26, kicking off the exciting line up of culinary experience at this year’s GTCO Food and Drink Festival.
The program, which took place over a period of 1 hour and 15 minutes, aimed to teach kids about various baking ingredients, techniques, and cultural flavors.
Chef Uzoka, an experienced chef and mother of two, was passionate about sharing her knowledge and love for baking with the children. She guided them through hands-on activities, demonstrating the use of measuring devices, mixers, and ovens to bake delicious treats such as banana muffins and cookies. The kids were introduced to a variety of exciting flavours and learned how to incorporate them into their own creations.
The masterclass was a huge success, with the kids thoroughly enjoying the session and gaining valuable baking skills. They had the opportunity to showcase their creations at the end of the session and even expressed interest in participating in baking competitions to put their newfound skills to the test.
Chef Uzoka’s masterclass focused on essential baking ingredients such as sugar, flour, eggs, salt, baking powder, and butter, and demonstrated the art of mixing and baking to achieve unique culinary creations. With the help of young co-chefs, the kids learned how to mix ingredients, cut their creations into sizes, and bake them to perfection.
In a conversation with Chef Uzoka, she shared her journey of becoming a baker and how her passion for cooking and offering unique culinary experiences led her to launch Gourmet Twist in 2017. She noted that the masterclass, which was a first at the GTCO Food and drink Festival, was principally dedicated to kids, that GTCO wanted somebody that could engage the kids so that they could enjoy baking in a relaxed atmosphere.
A graduate of the Red Dish Culinary School Lagos, Chef Uche’s culinary journey began after completing her studies at the University of Lagos. Her passion for cooking and a desire to offer unique culinary experiences, was fueled by customer’s satisfaction hence she ventured into entrepreneurship and launched Gourmet Twist in 2017.
Uche’s dedication to excellence in pastry and Afro-infused dishes has earned her widespread acclaim and admiration.
The participating kids also shared their enthusiasm for the masterclass, with one student, Usman Kabir, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to learn how to bake cookies, muffins, and other cuisines. “I have always tried my hands on baking cookies and it doesn’t turn out good but, with this, I can proudly say that I have gained a lot and would be able to bake cookies and achieve best of result,” he explained.
While appreciating GTCO, Usman said “thank you for hosting this class and I look forward to having subsequent editions.”
Overall, it’s wonderful to hear that the children loved the masterclass and had a great time learning and baking.
On their part, by adding a children’s baking masterclass to the yearly food festival, GTCO has created a valuable opportunity for young food enthusiasts to learn from experienced bakers and discover the joy of cooking. This new addition to the festival is sure to inspire the next generation of chefs and food entrepreneurs.