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Wayne Chiridza, Showbiz Reporter

FOOD lovers are set to convene at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo tomorrow for the Munch & Sip food market which is being held indoors for the first time.

It’s previous editions have been held outdoors at different venues in the city including Tin Cup and Smokehouse. 

Tomorrow’s event, which is expected to kick off at midday at the ZITF Hall 2, according to event organiser, Michelle Nkomo, will be a precursor of more exciting concepts to be introduced monthly. 

“We’ve come together with the brightest culinary minds from the city’s gastronomic scene to introduce a monthly food festival celebrating the foodie culture of Bulawayo. This month’s event will be held indoors for the first time and we’re excited to be trying this out,” Nkomo said.

She said the event will have different types of cuisines from American, Indian, Chinese and Zimbabwean dishes. 

Other than just being an outing, she said Munch n Sip supports locally owned businesses who setup their food stalls and market their products. Also, it is family friendly so those intending to attend with their children are free to do so. 

“Our market supports locally owned/operated businesses. It features vendors including restaurants, celebrity chefs, caterers, locally owned brands and more who setup their stalls,” said Nkomo.

On ways for people to enjoy the food market, Nkomo advised those attending the event to first take a tour around the venue and select foodstuffs which they think are the best after the tour instead of just sampling a few areas and making a decision instantly. 

From experience, it is also ideal for one to try out foodstuffs which they have never sampled before as this is the best way for one to have an appreciation of different cuisines and cultures. 

While munching and sipping, people will be entertained by up-and-coming artistes as well as selected DJs.

Commenting on the forthcoming event, some who attended the previous editions said they regretted not touring the market as they saw food that they were interested in after they were already full.

Said one Charles Dube: “I made the mistake of choosing the food that I saw at one of the first stands. I got a lot of it and later, when I decided to walk around, I saw more cuisines that I wanted, but because I was already full, I couldn’t eat more. 

“I therefore strongly recommend that people attending the food market this weekend take a complete tour first before buying anything.”

But, there is also a risk involved in taking time to make a decision as some stands which are attractive, have their food sold out in no time. This means that when one eventually makes a decision on which stand they want to buy from, they may find the food sold out. 

An example of a stall which usually runs out of food because of demand is one which sells chicken wings. Wadzanai Mashoko, who runs this stall, said at the last edition, her chicken wings sold out within two hours. 

“I love cooking so I went there to try out some of the recipes that I was conjuring up at home. To my surprise, the wings that I was selling were sold out in no time. 

“By 3PM, all my food was sold out and most people ended up asking if I had a shop in town so that they buy there instead after the Munch n Sip,” said Mashoko.

Unfortunately, Mashoko had no shop but said she was considering setting up something. – @waynecas