Thousands Gather at Ghud Park as Chef Abbys’ Big Street Feast 2.0 Serves Free Meals

Thousands of people gathered at Ghud Park in Accra on Friday as Ghanaian chef and food advocate Chef Abby hosted the second edition of her Big Street Feast, a free-meal initiative marking World Food Day and aiming to feed more than 50,000 people across Accra and Kumasi.

The October 16 event brought members of the public together for a community feeding exercise designed to put food in people’s hands immediately while drawing attention to hunger and food security in Ghana.

Ghud Park is one of Accra's main distribution points. This year, organisers have taken the programme beyond the capital for the first time, adding Kumasi, with Jubilee Park serving as the key site there. Fixed distribution centres and mobile outreach teams are working to reach people in both cities.

A Bigger Feast for 2026

The 2026 edition builds on the first Big Street Feast, held in 2025, which served thousands of people in Accra. The target is now far higher, and so is the geographical spread.

Chef Abbys, known for her cooking and her storytelling around food, has increasingly used her platform to speak about access to food and community support. By taking meals straight to public spaces, the initiative reaches people from all walks of life, including those who struggle to afford their daily meals.

Running two cities at once is no small task. It requires coordination among food suppliers, caterers, volunteers, transport operators and partner organisations.

Why World Food Day Matters

World Food Day is marked every year on October 16 to raise awareness about hunger, nutrition and the need for sustainable food systems. The timing places the Big Street Feast within a wider national conversation about who has enough to eat and who does not.

A free meal offers immediate relief, but it does not solve the underlying problem. Lasting food security depends on affordable food, strong agricultural output, proper storage and transport, and less food waste. Community feeding programmes can help in the short term while encouraging businesses, institutions and individuals to play their part.

For Ghana, initiatives like this also show what private organisations and individuals can contribute alongside public institutions and community groups in responding to social needs.

What to Watch

The overall target is more than 50,000 free meals, though the final figure will depend on how the distribution unfolds across both cities. Attention will now turn to how many people are ultimately reached and what role partners and volunteers play in making it happen.

Em News will continue to follow the initiative and report on the final reach of the meal distribution programme.