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Food enthusiasts and African migrant communities across the UK can now access a new online platform showcasing African cuisine.
Image Food enthusiasts and African migrant communities across the UK can now access a new online platform showcasing African cuisine

A new online platform looks set to help add further diversity to the dynamic UK culinary sector. Eat Drink Africa.com (also known as EDA) has a range of exciting features including an innovative search facility for African restaurants, food suppliers and distributors. Other interactive features includes reviews of African food and drink services, exclusive marketing tools for Businesses and services in this sector as well as exclusive special offers and events.

African food and produce, such as coca, have long been a part of the daily diet of British citizens. However, outside of the continent’s migrant communities, many UK citizens are unaware of the diversity and richness of African cuisine. Food enthusiasts who are aware of the many different excellent African dishes yet have been frustrated in their attempts to find restaurants where they can sample African food, or, retailers where they can buy the ingredients to try cooking the dishes themselves, will be able to turn to the information on EDA to access and enjoy exciting new culinary experiences.

Local restaurants offering a range of African cuisine will be able to promote an increased awareness of African culinary dishes, helping to secure their long-term future in an increasingly competitive market. For the director of The Banana Restaurant, EDA is “the revolution that African food and drink requires to sustain itself and grow”.

Promoting Employment

According to the 2011 UK census, there are well over 1.5 million UK citizens whom categorise themselves as ‘of African descent’ and this figure is constantly rising. Furthermore, the growing number of interracial marriages means the market of those potentially on the look out for African cuisine is increasing exponentially.

For community leaders, anything that spurs awareness of black businesses is to be welcomed as it offers the opportunity for the potential increase in employment within the black community as well as the chance to change peoples’ misconceptions of their communities.

As Mrs Aminata Conteh, the award-winning charity leader of the Active Children Youth Centre Charity and Sierra Leone Excellence Awards.org noted; “This is what we need. Africa and its culture has a lot to offer the UK, and food is an extension of one’s heritage and history. If we can spread this fantastic and rich information through food,the divides within communities would be reduced”.

Africa and its culture has a lot to offer the UK, and food is an extension of one’s heritage and history. If we can spread this fantastic and rich information through food the divides within communities would be reduced”.

It is not only local communities and food enthusiasts that are excited. Many of the African embassies have seen the potential for increased trade links with the UK due to EDA and have lent support to this scheme. Local Mayors, including the Mayor of the London Borough of Enfield, local business advisers and the British Chamber of Commerce have acknowledged the potential of a revived restaurant sector to boost Britain’s tourist industry and its image as a leading light in integration and diversity.

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Ugochukwu Egenamba the chief executive of the marketing research and promotion consultancy firm behind EDA has high ambitions for his new venture. He acknowledges that while EDA may primarily be used by migrant communities, interracial groups and tourists, his plan is to use the platform to raise the profile of African food and challenge the popularity of other mainstream international food such as Thai, Indian and Chinese for those wanting to try something different

The founders of EDA hope that it will become an essential resource for companies and private entities engaged in trade with the African food and drink sector. The platform will enable advertisers, community groups, event organizers, import/export firms, grocery suppliers, logistic companies and restaurants to interact and engage in various transactions. The owners of EDA are also exploring ways to encourage large supermarkets to benefit from a rising market of interest in African food by increasing the number of African ingredients and ready-meals that they stock in their ‘World Food sections’.

With 54 countries making up Africa, each with their own culinary style and produce, the Eat Drink Africa platform is set to make these culinary delights accessible to the UK public.

Find out more about the new platform at: www.eatdrinkafrica.com

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