Flavours Of Italy 2025: Celebrating A Decade Of Italian Excellence In Ghana—The Sponsors And Partners Behind the 10th Edition

Author: Eric Kwame Amesimeku

On Wednesday, 19th November 2025, the Italian Ambassador’s Residence in Accra opened its doors for the landmark 10th edition of “Flavours of Italy” – a signature culinary event that has become a mainstay on the Italian Embassy’s event calendar in Ghana.

What began as a modest celebration of Italian cuisine ten years ago has grown into one of Ghana’s most anticipated gastronomic and cultural events, drawing diplomats, business leaders, food enthusiasts, influencers, and the Italian-Ghanaian community together in a night of authentic flavours, fine wines, and warm hospitality.

Under the theme “Italian Cuisine: Health, Culture and Innovation”, this year’s event perfectly captures the essence of a cuisine recognised by UNESCO as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” None of this would be possible without the generous support of a diverse group of sponsors and partners who share a common passion for quality, authenticity, and the strengthening of Italy-Ghana relations.

Institutional Partners: The Foundation of the Event

The event continues to enjoy the unwavering patronage of the Embassy of Italy in Accra and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), under the leadership of Ambassador H.E. Laura Ranalli and the Italian Trade Commissioner for West Africa, Mr Luigi Puca. Their commitment has transformed “Flavours of Italy” into a flagship platform for promoting Italian food and beverage excellence in West Africa.

“OpportunityItaly”, the official business acceleration programme promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which among other things, connects foreign buyers, distributors, and entrepreneurs with Italian companies; strengthens economic relations between Italy and international markets; and provides a platform for business matching services and exclusive content on key Italian sectors, lent its expertise to ensure a seamless event organisation.

Ice Cream Partners: Cooling the Night with Artisanal Perfection
Ghana’s love affair with authentic Italian gelato reached new heights this year with four outstanding partners:

1. Cozy Cravings: This vibrant mobile dessert bar that blends nostalgia with modern flair brought its signature soft-serve ice creams, mini pancakes, and carnival classics to delight event guests.
2. Geppetto Gelato: A true ambassador of Italian gelateria in Ghana, Gelato continues its mission of “A Taste of Italy, Crafted in Ghana.” Its offerings delighted guests at this year’s event.
3. Pinocchio Ghana: The beloved family-friendly Italian eatery with branches in Osu, Airport, and East Legon, showcased its exceptional handmade gelato crafted using authentic recipes and imported ingredients to bring the true taste of Italy to Ghana.
4. Tipsy Gelato: This artisanal brand redefining frozen dessert culture in Africa specializes in a wide variety of innovative flavors, including both non-alcoholic and unique liquor-infused options. Its modern twist to the Italian frozen dessert tradition wowed guests who were spoilt for options.

Food Partners: A Symphony of Italian and Ghanaian Creativity
The culinary heart of the evening beat strongly thanks to an impressive lineup of restaurants and brands:

1. Crust Me Pizza: Crust Me Pizza is an Accra-based restaurant offering Afro-fusion pizzas rooted in authentic Italian traditions. It honors its Italian roots by using Neapolitan hand-stretched crusts and authentic techniques. The menu blends the Italian soul with African ingredients and inspiration, creating a unique culinary experience in Ghana.
2. CleanEats: CleanEats Ghana is a healthy fast-food restaurant chain founded in November 2015 by Abena Korantema Sekyiamah. Headquartered in Tema, it focuses on providing quick, healthy, and nutrient-packed meals like juices, salads, and sandwiches at affordable prices. Its support for “Flavours of Italy” underscores its strategic positioning and pivoting for fine dining.
3. Il Sapore Perfetto: Il Sapore Perfetto, meaning “The Perfect Taste” in Italian, is an Accra-based restaurant known for its exquisite fusion of Ghanaian, Continental, and authentic Italian cuisine. It participated in the “Flavours of Italy” event, demonstrating its commitment to blending rich local traditions with a distinct Italian culinary heritage.
4. À La Lune Restaurant & Café: À La Lune Restaurant & Café is a fine dining destination in Accra that specializes in a sophisticated fusion of authentic French and Italian cuisine. The restaurant brings the essence of Europe’s culinary traditions to Ghana, crafting dishes like handmade Italian pasta and classic French entrées with premium ingredients.
5. Hibiscus Restaurant: Hibiscus Restaurant is a Mediterranean and Italian restaurant in Accra known for its authentic cuisine. Located within Alliance Française, it features a wood-fired oven for some of Accra’s best pizzas and also serves homemade pasta and other Italian specialties.
6. Pomona: Pomona is an authentic Italian restaurant in Accra, Ghana, celebrated for bringing the culinary traditions of Italy to a vibrant garden-house setting. Its menu offers classic Italian dishes, from wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta to creamy risotto and signature tiramisu, blending its European soul with local inspiration.
7. Ocean Platform International (OPI): OPI is a leading offshore catering company in Ghana, specializing in high-quality hospitality services for the oil, gas, and mining industries. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Takoradi, OPI has evolved from a niche marine crew supplier into a full-service logistics powerhouse. Its dedicated OPI Catering division is the core of its offshore expertise, delivering tailored food and hospitality solutions for remote and high-stakes environments like drilling rigs, FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading units), and exploration platforms.

Wine Partners: Toasting a Decade with Italy’s Finest
No celebration of Italian cuisine is complete without exceptional wines, and this year’s partners delivered in abundance:

1. Don Emilio Ltd.: Don Emilio Ltd was established in 2000 and is one of Ghana’s most respected wine importers. The company imports and distributes a wide selection of wines, champagnes, liqueurs, and assorted spirits from around the world, including Italy, South Africa, Europe, South America, and beyond. Don Emilio positions itself as a “House of Quality Wines/Spirits,” emphasizing quality, affordability, and customer satisfaction as its core values.
2. Imexco Ghana Limited: Imexco Ghana Ltd. began trading in agricultural commodities in 1990 and later expanded into wholesale and distribution. In 1994, it became the exclusive distributor in Ghana for prestigious global beverage brands like Moët & Chandon and Hennessy. This move paved the way for its transformation into a diversified conglomerate. Today, Imexco operates in various sectors, including consumer goods, retail, food processing, logistics, and restaurant concepts, making it one of Ghana’s most diversified business groups.
3. Denzel Logistics: Denzel Logistics is the official distributor for Tonino Lamborghini Beverages in Africa, including Ghana. They handle sourcing, importation, and distribution of the brand’s alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, ensuring they are available through various channels like liquor stores and delivery services, and providing flawless supply chain support.
4. Barona/Steven Fittock: Barona Wine GH, led by Steven Fittock, imports and distributes Italian wines in Ghana, including brands like Tavernello from Caviro. The company focuses on making quality, everyday Italian wines accessible across retail, hospitality, and consumer markets. Its participation in events like Italian Cuisine Week reflects its commitment to promoting wine culture and strengthening Ghana-Italy ties.
5. TAD Group Limited: TAD Group Limited is a Ghana-based importer that sources exclusively from Italy, establishing itself as a niche conduit for Italian products in the local market. The company’s focus on the importation of wine and sparkling wine underscores its role in bringing Italian beverage brands into Ghana. Its positioning as a focused Italy-to-Ghana importer gives it a distinct footprint within the country’s growing wine and specialty-beverage scene.
6. Panific: Panific, founded in 2015, is a Ghanaian importer and distributor of frozen food, specialty foods, wines, and spirits. As part of its portfolio, Panific brings Italian and other international wines into Ghana, supplying restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, convenience stores, and e-commerce outlets. Through its logistics infrastructure and distribution network, Panific helps make premium wine and beverage imports more accessible across the local Ghanaian market.
7. Superb Wine & Liquor: Superb Wine and Liquor is a retail wine and spirits shop in Accra offering a wide selection of wines, liquors, and beverages. Superb Wine and Liquor marks itself as a “premium wine store” with curated offerings, aligning with the rising interest in international wine varieties in Ghana. Through its retail presence and variety of wine and liquor categories, Superb Wine & Liquor contributes to making imported and premium alcoholic beverages more accessible on the Ghanaian market.
   Helping with Logistics
   No event happens without logistics, and that is why the role of acclaimed global logistics company, Ocean Platform International, in this year’s “Flavours of Italy” event cannot be underestimated. The company, based in Takoradi, provides services including warehousing, sea freight, air freight, and land transportation for global trade.

A Partnership Beyond Commerce

What unites these sponsors and partners is more than commercial interest. Each represents a commitment to excellence, authenticity, and the deepening of cultural and economic ties between Italy and Ghana. From gelato artisans who studied in Italy to logistics firms supporting offshore operations, from family-run restaurants to multinational importers, they collectively embody the spirit of innovation rooted in tradition – precisely the theme of this 10th edition. As Ambassador Panelli noted in her welcome address, “All around the world, sharing a table is a timeless way to bring family and friends together, fostering connection among people and cultures.”

The sponsors and partners of “Flavours of Italy 2025” have made this table possible, and in doing so, have enriched Ghana’s culinary landscape immeasurably. When guests raised a glass of Bottega Gold Prosecco or savoured a scoop of Geppetto’s pistachio gelato under the Accra stars on that fateful day on the 19th of November, 2025, they tasted not just Italy’s finest offerings but a decade of friendship, passion, and shared success between two nations.

Buon appetito – and here’s to the next ten years.