Food festival to bring a taste of Africa and the Caribbean to Glasgow

Scotland’s LADHA will take place in Glasgow next month with vibrant food stalls offering cuisine from Kenya to Jamaica with a market full of fresh food, herbs and spices.

The festival promises to celebrate the rich tapestry of African and Caribbean food and drinks cultures and give those attending the chance to try food they might have not yet got to experience.

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Jacine Rutasikwa, who is a co-founder of festival partner Matugga Distillers, came up with the idea for the festival as she wanted to create an experience similar markets in London where she grew up.

She explained: "In the time I’ve been in Scotland, I’ve never really been to an event that united African and Caribbean food and drink producers.

"So, the opportunity came when Scotland Food and Drink issued funding for projects across Scotland through the Regional Food Fund and we secured funding for the inaugural LADHA."

Ladha, pronounced ‘larder’, is a Swahili word meaning ‘taste’ or ‘flavour’.

Jacine says they decided to name the festival Scotland’s LADHA as the word larder is often used when describing Scottish produce.

She said: "This is an alternative to Scotland’s larder, showcasing African and Caribbean excellence.

"It’s allowing us to feast, mingle and introduce our cultural heritage to new communities and even amongst African and Caribbean nations get to know each other’s food."

She added: "We want people to come with a hungry belly to explore. This is a discovery day.

"Food I think for all our cultures is so important. It’s nourishment but it’s the communal aspect to it as well.

"This ritual nourished us and it nourished my grandparents when they first came over from Jamaica."

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The festival will bring together African and Caribbean producers from across Scotland including Matugga Distillers, Island Slice, Rafiki Coffee and Soul Food Sisters.

People will have the chance to enjoy food and drink items such as Nigerian Puff Puff, jollof, rum, and Jamaican patties, as well as buy groceries to cook with at home.

There will also be a series of masterclasses, such as Spice It Up! African Spice Mastery and a Launch Your Food & Drinks Business, as well as live entertainment.

Organisers hope that not only will the event "tantalise the tastebuds" of those attending, but it will also help introduce people to African and Caribbean food they may not have had the chance to try before.

Pictured outside Gathering Ground CIC (Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

Enoch Adeyemi, co-founder of festival partner KnowVate Hub, said: "It’s an opportunity to bless our host country with our delicacies because they’ve been exposed to Chinese delicacies, Indian delicacies, Italian delicacies, but I don’t think they’ve had the opportunity to get a feel for what we’ve got to offer.

"We think this platform will be a starting point for them to come in, have a look and then have a bite here and there.

"Hopefully this will be the first of what will be an exciting journey."

Onyinye Igbokwe, program director at KnowVate Hub, hopes the festival will help people have a better understanding of people they may know with African or Caribbean heritage.

She said: "I feel like people should go with the taste of home.

"Like ladha implies, it’s the taste of home for us so we’re hoping people will come in and feel like they’ve been immersed in our culture just by being there and eating the food.

"There’ll be music, there’ll be vibes as well.

"So, I hope people feel like they’ve been transported to Africa or the Caribbean."

Vanessa Gilpin is the director of festival partner AndMunch as well as the founder of Gathering Ground CIC in Hamiltonhill.

She says she believes the African and Caribbean food scene is still finding its feet in Scotland but is hopeful the festival will raise the profile of small shops and restaurants.

She said: "You do get African Caribbean restaurants, but they tend to be chains and they’re visited by a wide demographics of people because of the location they’re in.

"But it’s mostly African and Caribbean people that attend local smaller shops, so I think bringing these types of foods to everyone in the form of a festival is going to raise the profile of the shops people may walk past because they’re not familiar with it."

Fiona Richmond, head of regional food at Scotland Food and Drink, added: "I am delighted to see Scotland's LADHA 2024 come to fruition.

"This festival is not only a celebration of the vibrant African and Caribbean culinary traditions but also a testament to the rich diversity and innovation within Scotland's food and drink industry.

"Through the Regional Food Fund, Scotland Food and Drink is proud to support such initiatives that promote inclusivity, cultural exchange, and the appreciation of food as a unifying force."

Scotland’s LADHA 2024 will take place at the C7 Conference Centre in Glasgow on Saturday, April 27 with two sessions held from 11am to 2.30pm and from 3.30pm until 7pm.

Standard entry costs £10 with limited-time early bird tickets costing £7.50. Children under 15 enter free of charge.

You can find out more HERE.