How Olakunbi won Knorr Taste Quest...Smiles home with N2m, SUV, kitchen equipment

L-R; Miss Bimbo Ogunsemi, Brand Manager, Knorr, Mrs. Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe, Brand Building Director, Foods Unilever Nig Plc, KTQ Season 2 Winner, Ms Kunbi Dixon and Mr Abiona Babarinde, GM, Marketing and Corporate Service Coscharis Group at the grand finale of Knorr Taste Quest Season 2

SHOWBIZPLUSng can authoritatively reveal that a 30 year old Lagos-based female office administrator, Dixon Olakunbi has finally emerged winner at the keenly contested grand finale of the Unilever Nigeria-sponsored TV reality show tagged Knorr Taste Quest.

For her accomplishment, Dixon goes home with N2 million cash prize, a Ford Eco Sport SUV courtesy of Coscharis Motors and Kenwood kitchen equipment.

She now joins the Knorr Taste Quest hall of fame that already has winner of season one, Indonesia born Eko Hotel chef, Lalu Surdiham who was also present at the grand finale.
Following closely as the second runner-up was 32 year-old trained Veterinary Doctor, Nwando Onuigbo who gets a N1 million cash prize and Kenwood kitchen equipment. A 28 year-old system Analyst, Olabode Akinyoola ended as third place winner with N500,000 cash prize and Kenwood kitchen equipment. All other contestants who entered into the show went home with a consolatory prize of Kenwood kitchen equipment.
It was much to the surprise of the four finalists that entered into the show when show anchor, DJ Mannie of Cool FM announced the recall of a fifth contestant; Ojo Omoniyi into the show for the grand finale. The finalists were told to prepare a three course meal within stipulated time.
Ingredients for the Starter included, Catfish, Garden egg, Avocado, Cous cous, Quinoa and Atarodo. For the Main, ingredients comprised Lamb, Corn, Breadfruit, Plantain, Rice, Fettuccine, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Aubergine, Leeks and Chocolate. To complete the three course, was desert ingredients such as Mango, Melon, Flour and Butter.
At the end of the fiercely contested exercise that was laced with tension and drama, they all filed out to present their dishes one after another but it was Dixon’s meal that unanimously earned the best reviews from the obviously impressed three-man judging panel. Head of the jury, Dr. Roberts confessed that although he was not a lover of avocado but he could not resist Dixon’s experiment with the fruit.
“To say that I am shocked and surprised is an understatement,’ declared an excited Dixon after she was declared winner. “I wasn’t expecting to win. I hope that this is the beginning of good things to come; like more endorsements. This is just the beginning.”
She added, “I didn’t see it coming. I am competing against the best. It is not a case of one person does it better than all the rest. It is about understanding ingredients and working with time. There is no secret recipe anywhere. I didn’t expect to win but I am grateful I won.”
According to Doctor Roberts, the final decision was not easy but based on facts available to judges. “To be honest, I came into the finale without having an idea of who will emerge as the winner,” confessed Doctor Roberts. He added, “It was a very level-playing field. It was anybody’s game. Everything stood her out. Her starter, main course and desert were very good.”
Expressing her satisfaction at the outcome of the show, Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe, Brand Building Director, Foods, Unilever, Nigeria said that the winner had displayed skills and talent worthy to be crowned as Nigeria’s best cook.
“I am extremely satisfied. I take that from the excitement from the audience and the winner. She has displayed skills and talent that set her apart from her contemporaries. About 14 of them started out when the show began some 15 weeks ago. Anybody could have won,” she submitted.
According to Ogedi Alakwe, the season two witnessed a marked improvement from the first especially in areas of coverage where auditions were extended beyond Lagos to Calabar and Abuja. She added that over 10,000 entries were received for the just concluded season with weekly TV followership across the nation to the tune of 4million viewers.
Knorr Taste Quest season two also witnessed unprecedented partnership from Cosharis Motors who donated the star prize of a Ford Eco Sport SUV as well as from Kenwood who donated kitchen equipment worth several millions.