Over the last 3 days of March, thousands of health-conscious consumers, food lovers, wellness enthusiasts and entrepreneurs joined international buyers from across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the 6th annual Good Life Show.

Described as the largest and most exciting consumer food show in all of Africa, the Good Life Show is also the most interactive. Best of all, it showcases the largest trend in food – that of plant-based eating, sustainable ingredients and cooking for health.

Along with headline sponsor IMBO, Spekko was the darling of a host of top international and local chefs. Amongst them Nigerian food sensation, Chef Tolani Tayo-Osikoya aka “Chef T” @diaryofakitchenlover, who cooked her signature Coconut Vegetable Rice and Crispy Tofu. 

Using Spekko’s Long Grain White Rice, Chef T’s fragrant rice was spiced with garlic, onion, thyme, basil and curry. To get the crisp tofu, she coated the tofu with cornflour before frying it in a wok with macadamia oil.

Chef T, who has over 2,2 million followers on Instagram and around 1 million on TikTok, amassed over 1 million views on her platforms for post around her Cape Town visit.

Other chefs who cooked with Spekko and IMBO at the show, included local Food Network star Jenny Morris, former MasterChef SA’s Peter Goffe-Wood, Mount Nelson Hotel’s Executive Chef Luke Barry, heritage-focused, garden-to-plate cooking supremo Constantijn Leo Hahndiek, wild food innovator Roushanna Gray, SCAPE at Vrymansfontein Executive Chef Kevin Grobler and farm-to-table pioneer Chef Chris Erasmus.

They were joined by executive pastry chef Ilhame Guerrah, internationally renowned for her work on the Veliche Gourmet brand, “Chocolatier Farmer” Philippe Lelard, master chocolatier Kyle Hickman, “All-In-One Masala” inventor Solina Moodley, Culinary Olympian Oscar Baard, sustainability advocate Gregory Henderson, as well as Taj Cape Town Executive Chef Somnathsingh Rakesh.

Spekko’s awareness at the show was driven by sampling of the new white and brown value packs, leaflets with a selection of recipes cooked with the rice variants were handed out and huge screens with barcodes invited consumers to activate more recipes. 

The somewhat 7,000 visitors over the 3 days of the show took part in interactive cooking workshops and tasted Spekko in the IMBO Theatre of Taste.

More than 250 exhibitors took part in the show.