Four winners have emerged in the first-ever Sabi Chef street food competition, held at the Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island on Friday.
Olaoluwa Akintayo, a personal chef, emerged the overall winner.
Akintayo impressed the judges with his Yamarita (egg coated fried yam) and stir-fried noodles, outscoring 9 other finalists to claim the ₦1.5 million grand prize.
Speaking to The Record, the winner said the food preparation “wasn’t much of a challenge” because he was used to cooking it. He, however, admitted that the presentation was quite tasking as it requires creativity.
“I was shocked and excited at the same time because when I registered for the competition, I didn’t even know the prize,” he said.
“However I just registered for it because of my love for cooking. So, knowing the prize later and then seeing people I would be contesting with, my fears intensified.
“But, I just had to do my best and tried to have fun doing it.” He added
Joy Etor, a renowned chef and judge at the event, credited Akintayo’s “street credibility, presentation, and style” for his success.
Over 1,000 people vied for the Sabi chef title at the entry stages in November. But organizers selected 10 to compete as finalists at Friday’s grand finale.
Street food vendor, Tosin James emerged the first runner up with a sum of one million naira while the second-runner up and third place winner shared five hundred thousand naira each.
The Sabi Chef competition was organized by Newspread.ng to celebrate and empower street food vendors who contribute significantly to Nigerian cuisine and culture.
The chairman of NT News LTd, publishers of Newspread.ng Shola Ewuola said the street food vendors were often overlooked and undervalued by the mainstream culinary industry.
“It’s mainly for the people who have not been privileged enough to attend culinary schools, the people who are on the street who are trying to make a living, the people who are trying to send their children to school, the people who are on their daily grind, he said while commenting about the mission of Sabi Chef Food Festival.”
