NIYI WILLIAMS

Niyi Williams, the grandson of Chief Akintola Williams is one of the Chefs behind the dinning club, ‘Foodies United’. His love for cooking started way back in his grandmother’s kitchen. Today his love for cooking is evident in his quest to impact others with his culinary skills. He is also a guest culinary instructor at the Culinary Academy. What are your fondest memories of food from childhood?

My fondest memories of food from childhood involves my grandmother’s ever busy kitchen, which involved either making stew, ewedu, okro soup, jollof rice, fried rice and definitely so much more and all the way to the US, where I enjoyed a totally different style involving quiet women around the table folding potato parcels of pierogi (polish potato dumplings) to eating Kielbasa (polish pork sausage). Did your family in anyway object to you becoming a Chef after the fine education they gave you?

I must say I have a very supportive family that will push you to achieve anything you put your mind to. I actually have an elder brother (Remi Williams, Smoke and Salt London) who is an exceptional chef based in the UK and also a father with some pretty serious culinary flair. We are a heavily inclined food family so I doubt objections would have existed. How will you describe your style of cooking, any particular specialty?

I believe the stomach is a place to be treated with good food, and we can cheat all these diets that are being pushed upon us every day. I am all about “good comfort food and good eats”, hearty portions, tender meats and merging international and local flavours. Can one make a decent living in Nigeria from being a Chef?

This is a loaded question, but I personally believe if you have the drive and passion to achieve quality and excellence in anything you produce, you can make money. We are in an interesting place in Nigeria for food where even though there is a growing population, we aren’t growing the food industry, and more people need to push to try, because good food sells itself. What opportunities has being a Chef opened up for you and how have you able to take full advantage of it?

I have met some interesting people and had some interesting opportunities thrown my way after certain people have tried my food or have heard from people who have. One of the most interesting is the opportunity to be part of the ‘Billion Reasons to Believe’ campaign of Coca Cola. I enjoyed my interaction with the people involved and I love what they are trying to achieve. In your own opinion, what do you think about the Nigerian culinary scene and what does it need to acquire more prestige?

I honestly believe we need to publicise Nigerian food more than we do, we need to make the kitchen more exciting, through TV, youtube and all forms of Social Media. I am particulary proud to say I guest teach at The Culinary Academy, and Tiyan Alile (founder and owner) is doing a good job at providing the length and breadth of classes from professional training to fun adult evening classes to children’s kitchen classes. We need to continue to push concepts like The Culinary Academy as well as encourage young budding cooks and chefs to get into the kitchen and get trained. Are there any chefs you admire locally and internationally a?

Locally I am a big supporter and fan of my friend and brother Chef Fregz, as well as the work being done by Chef Carlos Azikiwe. They have brought some serious flair to the industry here and I want them to keep pushing boundaries and cooking good food and not just any food Nigerian inspired meals.

Internationally I admire Jamie Oliver and Gennaro Contaldo, from the perspective that Jamie Oliver has battled food and health in schools in the UK and he is great when it comes to producing simple food for couples and single people who should eat properly after a long day of work. Gennaro, if you have ever seen him online or on TV is 66 but has the vitality of a 20 year old and he makes the kitchen look like a playground of epic proportions, and you just want to try his Italian food made easy style. What are your plans for the future?

I am starting a food truck very soon, and it will be hitting the streets of Lagos. Becoming mobile and bringing a fast, fresh and very tasty menu to the public, for lunch and dinner has always been a brilliant idea to me. I would like to bring the food truck culture to Nigeria in a big way as we have such a large population and statically speaking we will have a very wide flavour palette.