Despite the constraints of the pandemic, FoodbayTV, organisers of Street Foodz Naija competition recently announced that the second season of the edition will hold. The event premiered last year and had 13 chefs displaying their skills on street food cuisines. Christopher Omowa was crowned the winner of the maiden edition.
For the second season, the winner will be smiling home with a N5 million grand prize which consists of a cash prize, a scholarship to attend a culinary school, a renovated workplace and an SME toolkit. First and second runners-up will receive N2 million and N1 million worth of prizes respectively. Femi Ogundoro, the Managing Director of Maxima Media Group, owner of FoodbayTV explained that the competition is more than just a TV show.
“StreetFoodz Naija is not just a TV show, but a docu-reality series that would allow the street foodpreneurs to get on a journey of empowerment. A journey that would inspire them and for the audience, a journey that would also make them learn a lot more about ourselves and appreciate what street food in Nigeria is all about.”
For Devon Kings, the lead sponsor of the event, it is a way of encouraging the food vendors whose businesses have been upended by the pandemic
“While we understand the challenges faced by the street foodpreneurs as a result of the pandemic, and the possible impacts on their businesses, we hope that this season is one that provides them with the needed support and encouragement. It is why we have chosen the theme, ‘beating the odds’ for this season. It is our belief that together and with the support of everyone, we will do just that,” said the Managing Director of PZ Wilmar Nigeria Limited, Ipsit Chakrabarti.
A call for entry has already been announced and chefs blessed with culinary skills are encouraged to send their entries online. The three judges of the previous season Chef Etteh Assam, Chef Adetomi ‘Imoteda’ Aladeokomo and nutritionist Adedamola ‘AskDamz’ Ladejobi are returning for the second season but they will be joined by the cake maestro, Chef Tosan Jemide.
The second season will run for 13 weeks and will feature chefs from Kano, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.