When Joy FM said it was bringing its staff, including renowned journalists, to prove to the world that they are not only gifted in the newsroom or the studio but also are good in the kitchen, it was no joke.
Like previous years, The Multimedia Group brought together its staff from the different clusters to participate in the Joy FM Easter Soup Kitchen. The event was held at the company’s car park at Kokomlemle in Accra.
The event brought together seasoned journalists to showcase their prowess in the kitchen. The likes of JoyNews editors Araba Koomson and Fiifi Koomson, host of Daybreak Hitz on Hitz Fm, Andy Dosty, hosts of DriveTime, Lexis Bill and other presenters including Kofi Hayford, Doreen Avio, Sammy Forson, Mamavi Owusu Aboagye were all at their culinary best.
The occasion also saw some professional chefs who supervised the cooking and ensured that everything was in place. Who are these chefs?
One of them is Eugene Keku Aryee, a professional caterer with over 15 years of practice.
His catering profession started way back in Senior High School when he decided to study Home Economics, but unfortunately, he did not have the support of his family to pursue the career.
“Cooking is actually a gift. I had the talent, and by God’s grace, I had a grade ‘A’ in Food when I took my final exam. Just that my family didn’t realise the talent to support me,” he said.
Eugene did not stop there but upgraded himself at the National Vocational Training Institute.
His first big job was at the airport, where he was part of the chefs who supplied dishes to airlines at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and has worked in cities like Kumasi, Accra, Takoradi, etc.
“After that, I moved to Kumasi, where I worked with Golden Tulip on contract for about six months. In Takoradi, I worked in different hotels. Then, in 2017 I moved to the Volta Region to work,” he said.
He’s practised not only in Ghana but has also taken his cooking out of the country’s shores when he worked as a chef in the House of a Nigerian pilot.
Speaking to Myjoyonline.com, he revealed that his passion for helping the community pushed him to be part of the Easter Soup Kitchen. Not even a stressful journey from the Volta Region to Accra could deter him from partaking in the event.
“I’ve been listening to Joy FM for close to 23 years now, and when I heard of the programme, I decided to participate. So I go here before 6:00 am just putting things in place,” he said.
He currently supplies pastries to the Bator Catholic Hospital in the Volta Region, where he resides.
The second Chef is Gloria, also known as the Royal Chef. She operates the Royal Food Palace at Ablekuma Agape High Street in Accra.
Gloria describes cooking “as a gift.”
“It’s one of God’s gifts, but I started working with it professionally about 10 to 15 years ago, and I’ve worked with celebrities and a couple of churches for their event.”
Hearing of the Easter Soup Kitchen from a friend, she decided to partake in the event.
“When I learnt that it was all about giving back to the community, I was so excited to come on board because I love giving back to society,” she stressed.
Eugene Sholar Mawuena is the other professional cook on Sunday. Her interest in cooking developed back in Junior High School, and she decided to upgrade her skills and take cooking as a profession.
“I went to Tesano JHS where I did Home Economics. From there, I went to the Mawuko Girls Senior High, where I also pursued Home Economics. From there, I went to the Accra Technical University, where I did Hotel Catering and Institutional management.
However, she took a break from catering when she pursued her national service at the Ghana Navy, where she served as a personal assistant to the Naval Commanding Officer.
From there, she returned to the field and went to special in Cake decoration and sugarcraft at Cake Tekniks.
“There, I graduated as the overall best student for the 2019 Batch. I’m currently running my own business where we do catering services and training,” she said.