Culinary industry players must leverage opportunity in digital age — GTA CEO

Players in the culinary industry have been encouraged to embrace the opportunity the digital age presents to innovate and grow their businesses. 

With technology virtually turning the world into a global village, it also offered unprecedented opportunities for the culinary arts.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman, who gave the advice, said technology played a significant role in how food was prepared and consumed. Thus, anyone who tried to work without embracing technology risked missing out on business.

"Technology is now revolutionising how we prepare, share and consume food. From virtual cooking classes and online recipes shared to the use of social media to showcase culinary creativity, the digital world is expanding the horizons of the culinary arts," he said.

He was speaking at the 46th Graduation of the EKGS Culinary Institute last Sunday.

It was held on the theme: "The Culinary Arts in the Digital Age: Driving Economic Growth and Innovation”.

Integration

Mr Agyeman said the integration of technology into the culinary field hopefully would drive economic growth and innovation in several ways.

“The digital age has opened up new avenues for culinary entrepreneurs. Online food delivery services, virtual restaurants and food blogging are just a few examples of how technology can enable you to reach a global audience and grow your businesses,” he said.

Again, he said, digital tools could also play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices in the industry.

“From reducing food waste to smart inventory management to supporting the value chain of food through online marketplaces, technologies have helped us to build a more sustainable and innovative food ecosystem,” he said.

Study

The GTA, he said, conducted a study about four years ago, and almost 73 per cent of the facilities that were used for the survey “did not even have a website, let alone a Facebook page or Instagram” and added that “in this day and age, this is so sad”. 

Mr Agyeman, therefore, charged the young graduates to leverage technology to drive growth in their business and create new opportunities, saying that what they had learnt was just the tip of the iceberg and that they could learn more from these online platforms. 

Grooming professionals

The Director of the EKGS Culinary Institute, Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei, said since its establishment over 25 years ago, the institution had trained over 8,000 graduates.

She said 70 per cent of the graduates were now running their successful culinary outlets and 30 per cent had been employed by some of Ghana’s top hospitality institutions.

That accomplishment, she said, reflected its significant contribution to the broader economy through job creation and entrepreneurship.

She said the culinary industry in Ghana continued to be a dynamic driver of national economic growth. According to recent reports, the hospitality and culinary sectors generate over GH¢2 billion annually.