'My hard work paid off’ - Chef Abbys breaks down over massive support at London cooking demo

• Ghanaian chef and food creator Chef Abbys revealed that she cried after returning to her room following a live cooking demonstration at Trafalgar Square in London.

• She said the overwhelming crowd and support proved that her years of hard work were paying off, while allowing her to introduce international audiences to Ghanaian and African cuisine.

• Chef Abbys demonstrated how to grind pepper and prepare kelewele, alongside other African dishes and ingredients, and thanked Ghanaians in London, her partners, and the Mayor of London’s team for their support.

Chef Abbys was invited to deliver a live cooking demonstration at the iconic London landmark as part of the 2026 edition of Black On The Square, a cultural festival organised by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The experience exceeded her expectations, particularly because she had initially doubted whether people would be interested in sitting down to watch her cook.

Reflecting on the event, Chef Abbys said the experience gave her a powerful reminder of how far her work in food had come.

She said;

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According to the chef, she was initially sceptical about the invitation because she was unsure whether the London audience would engage with a live cooking demonstration.

She recalled;

Her concerns quickly disappeared when she saw the crowd that had gathered and how attentively people followed her demonstration.

The emotional impact of the moment only fully hit her after the event.

She said;

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During the demonstration, Chef Abbys used the platform to introduce audiences to ingredients, techniques and dishes that may have been unfamiliar to them.

She said one of her biggest ambitions as a chef has always been to take African food beyond the continent and expose international audiences to the richness of African cuisine.

She explained;

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Among the things she taught the audience was how to grind pepper, while she also demonstrated how to prepare kelewele and other Ghanaian snacks.

She said the audience also got the opportunity to learn about African ingredients and cooking methods that many of them had never encountered before.

Chef Abbys also said the demonstration went beyond Ghanaian cuisine, with foods such as attiéké and sweet potatoes forming part of the experience.

One of the highlights of the event for Chef Abbys was the support she received from Ghanaians living in London.

She expressed gratitude to the Ghanaian community and other Africans who attended the event to support her.

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She said;

She also acknowledged people from other African countries who came to experience and support the demonstration.

The chef further thanked her partners, including Dr Wills for providing mayonnaise and other sauces, Kivo for the shito, and Katon Global for its support and livestreaming during the event.

Another moment that stood out for her was the visit of London's Deputy Mayor to her stand.

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According to Chef Abbys, the Deputy Mayor stopped by to congratulate her on her work, adding another memorable moment to what had already been an emotional day.

She said;

She subsequently expressed appreciation to Mayor Sadiq Khan and his team for giving her the opportunity to showcase African cuisine on such a prominent platform.

The appearance at Trafalgar Square represents another significant moment in Chef Abbys' efforts to use food as a vehicle for promoting African culture internationally.

Black On The Square 2026 brought together music, food, dance, arts, wellbeing activities and family entertainment in central London, with the festival celebrating Black culture and creativity.

For Chef Abbys, however, the significance of the occasion went beyond the size of the crowd.

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Her emotional reaction after the event reflected what she described as years of hard work, sleepless nights and dedication to building a career capable of taking African food to audiences outside the continent.

The Trafalgar Square demonstration offered her a chance to see that ambition play out in real time, with an international audience learning about Ghanaian cooking and African ingredients.