Biishville Kwame Annom Amfo-Akonnor

By West Africa Cooks, 21 April, 2017

Kwame Annom Amfo-Akonnor pitched his local food start up business to an expert panel at Enterprise Africa 2017* for corporate mentorship support which included PR, branding support, social media and digital marketing. He impressed the panel and won top prize. This package was put together by Essence 13 working with Pop Up Africa. So what are the hopes, dreams and challengers of Kwame's startup. Let's find out here is a question and answer session by this enterprising business man.

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Biishville Questions And Answers: Hopes, Dreams And Challengers

How did it start?
My name is Kwame Annom Amfo-Akonnor I am 22 and a final year business administration student, owner and head chef of Biishville I am Ghanaian, born and raised in Ghana and resides in its capital city, Accra.

My love and passion for food begun at a very young age and at the age of 16. I wanted to own a chain of fine dining restaurants. Growing up I used spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my mum, learning some tricks in culinary as an art. In my sophomore year in the university I decided to take the bold step to start the journey to fulfill my dreams by starting a small company Called Biishville. Biishville provides pop up dining and offers private chef services and currently introduced restaurant takeovers. The idea behind Biishville is to bring people together to enjoy good food, network and basically revive the African way of families sitting together to eat which is becoming very difficult in the modern African home.

Where are your family from?

My parents are from the eastern part of Ghana specifically Akuapim.

What food do you cook, where can I find your recipes or try your cooking?

Meals I make are mostly new recipes I come up with or I add twists to local and continental cuisines adding flavors from Africa. So modification of already written African (local) cuisines, adding African flavors to continental cuisines and creating my own recipes.

Where can I find your recipes or try your cooking?

Biishville pop ups are hosted once every month and the location is selected based on the theme the dinner revolves around. Details on events are posted on social media (instagram, twitter, Facebook) and guests must make reservations by filling out an online reservation form or call in to make reservations.

What’s your favourite African dish?

Favorite African dish is omotuo and groundnut soup and I love sobolo (bissap juice), least favorite dish.

African Food, Biishville

Read Business Development Enterprise Africa 2017

Hopes, Dreams And Challengers

What is planned for the brand name in the future?

In the next five years I look forward to being the first choice when it comes to food experiences and the fine dining scene in Ghana, expanding to two shops, expanding to the West African region, hiring and getting involved with community building.

What sort of obstacles have you come across whilst trying to realise your dream?

It’s hasn’t been easy starting and running this business. It’s been a bit difficult combining school work with running the business, also, because I started and run the business with my monthly allowance for school it is a challenge acquiring funds. Lastly, there’s a challenge when it comes to finding suitable locations for events since the price for rent in Accra is high.

Can you recommend any African cookbooks

Some good African cook books are The taste of Africa by Dorinder Hafner, The Africa cookbook and The Ghana Cookbook.

Any African heroes? or any chefs or cooks you look up to?

I look up to Chef Selassie of Midunu.

Read Sylvia Turns Entrepreneur With African Restaurateur

Profitable Businesses And Sustainable Enterprises

Young, hungry and talented chefs in Ghana west Africa, the UK and America need to be supported and encouraged. If we look to the long term we have to own our heritage‬, culture and inspire independent African food business. African networking online can really accelerate profitable business, company growth and sustainable enterprises, because of the low cost and effective way marketing can be implemented.

Your job now is to attend, support with your money and then give feedback to African foodies next generation risk takers. Focus on the long term Kwame and good luck! We wish you total success for the future.

Follow
Instagram biishville
Twitter @biishville
Facebook.com/biishville
www.biishville.com

West Africa Cooks
Editor

*Enterprise Africa 2017 took place in Accra, Ghana see Business Development Enterprise Africa 2017. West Africa Cooks was on the panel other judges were entrepreneur Edison Gbenga working for AgriPro also co founder Just Fresh (Fresh2U), Selassie Atadika Chef/Owner of Midunu Ghana and Sofiene Marzouki of Jumia Food.

Businesses involved in Enterprise Africa forum, speaking or providing their services included Tee Baa (Dedo Azu) Trendy restaurant and tea bar located in Osu, Nyaniba Estates, Impact hub, 233 Advertising (Rita Afful) Twitter @233Advertising, Dromo studios dromostudios.com (portraits, lifestyle, weddings and events), Kananan (David Mantey and Jude Banford-Sackey), Circumspecte (Jemila Abdulai) Africa oriented circumspecte, Jay Gyebi a Ghanaian foodie who is crazy about ghanablogger cuisine MC @mukasechic and Bawoni (Maaureen Atebawone) Twitter @Bawoniconsult.

Other contestants and business which took part are HomeCho (owner Bryan Tachie-Menson) and Ruth Amoah of The Sweet Art Company.

Organisers of the food forum were Jessica Laditan founder of Pop Up Africa and Yorm Ackuaku founder esSense13.

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