A taste of triumph: Africa Tastemasters Culinary Festival 2025 delivers on flavour, creativity

KENYA – The Africa Tastemasters Culinary Festival 2025 has concluded on a high note, delivering a compelling showcase of culinary artistry, innovation, and regional pride.

Held as part of the greater AFMASS Food Manufacturing Expo 2025 and co-located within the Africa HORECA Expo, the three-day festival took place from July 2–4, 2025, at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, drawing professionals from across the foodservice and hospitality industries.

Organised by FW Africa, the festival brought together a vibrant mix of chefs, food brands, and culinary institutions in a celebration of African cuisine’s growing creativity and commercial relevance.

While the event experienced a few minor hiccups in stage coordination and ingredient readiness, it more than made up for them through the energy, talent, and flavours presented on every platform.

A key attraction was the Swahili Breakfast showcase by Sarova Panafric Hotel, where traditional dishes like viazi karai, Swahili kebab, mbaazi ya nazi, and mahamri were executed with authenticity and flair.

These nostalgic dishes resonated strongly with attendees and set a high standard for the rest of the sessions.

Park Inn by Radisson made a strong impression with inventive sandwich and roti wrap sessions, seamlessly incorporating products from sponsors such as Broadways Bread, Lyons sauces, and Phulka wheat flour.

The team’s ability to balance creative presentation with practical execution highlighted the event’s commercial relevance.

Chef Rafael, representing the Soko team, delivered one of the festival’s most talked-about moments with his “Ugali Snack with a Twist.” The reinterpretation of a staple into a modern snack format drew praise for its originality and market potential.

The momentum continued into Day 3, featuring the Ethnic African Dishes Focus led by UCA, and a variety of rice-based dishes featuring Pearl Rice.

The event wrapped up with the Pastry and Bakery Show, where creative use of Treatos cookies, Ooh ice cream, and other ingredients pushed dessert innovation to the forefront.

Backed by key sponsors including Soko, Pearl, Treatos, Broadways, Da Vinci, and others, the festival successfully demonstrated how African culinary talent and local ingredients can compete and collaborate on an international level.

The Africa Tastemasters Culinary Festival has firmly established itself as a powerful showcase of taste, technique, and trade in Africa’s growing food and hospitality economy.

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