Sai Wine Café, Ghana’s leading wine and food café, located in Osu – Accra, has announced an increment of locally sourced ingredients on their food menu.
Famously known for their continental cuisines, which pair with their extensive wine collection amid the current economic downturn, Sai Wine Café is committed to ensuring they are putting money into the hands of Ghanaians and Africanising their experiences.
“Since we relocated to Ako-Adjei, Osu in 2020, we have been intentional with planting our own produce such as herbs (basil, mint, etc.) and purchasing as many goods from local markets as possible, ensuring that Ghanaians are included in our value chain. We also white-labelled a locally produced Made-in-Ghana wine and branded it Volta, which is made from 3 pulp extracts including coffee, cashew and cocoa,” stated Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah, founder of Sai Wine Café.
“In 2021, after I participated in a webinar hosted by The Africa House in New York, a key takeaway was the idea of ‘Africanising’ the wine experience. Closing the gap between foreign-produced wine and pairing it with our local cuisines, in addition to identifying tasting notes to scents and flavours we are familiar with as African’s.
“With this, our first move was to include food items including jollof, akonfem, rabbit meat, gizzard, goat meat and cassava fish to our menu, with recommended wines to pair. Since then, we have increased our local delicacies to include Domedo, Cow meat, Chicken liver on our tapas menu – which are all locally sourced items, while cutting back on other continental dishes such as cured meats.”
In addition, to their menu adjustments, Sai Wine Café have been intentional in purchasing Made-in-Ghana produce including rice, coffee, water, chicken, eggs, juice, etc., ensuring they play their part in contributing to money circulating within our community.
“With wine being 50 percent of our business, we rely on imports; therefore, our food supply and other items, such as furniture, talent, etc. need to be locally sourced. It is imperative that we pull together in these times and reduce the exuberant costs we are being forced to pass on to diners and/or absorb, which is inevitably affecting our bottom-line,” Ms. Takyiwaa-Mensah stated.
