Adejoke Bakare: The Nigerian Who’s UK’s First Black Female Michelin-Starred Chef

On Monday, February 5, 2024, Chishuru, a UK-based restaurant founded by Nigerian chef, Adejoke Bakare, was one of 18 restaurants awarded with a Michelin Star. This makes her the first black female Michelin-starred chef in the UK, and second in the world.

Michelin Stars are given by a collective of inspectors employed by the Michelin guide, who visit different restaurants in about 40 countries, as anonymous customers.

Photo source: Instagram/@chishuru

A brief history of Chef Bakare and Chishuru

Chef Bakare’s interest in the culinary world dates back to her years in Kaduna, where she grew up with a Yoruba mother and an Igbo father. As a child, she enjoyed watching her maternal grandmother cook, so she never considered cooking for her siblings as a chore. Her love for cooking continued even as a student of biological science at the university in Kaduna. “My culinary experience up to that point was running a fish and chips cart while I was studying,” Bakare revealed in a Guardian UK interview.

She eventually moved to the United Kingdom in the 1990s and worked in the care and property management industries before friends encouraged her to start a supper club in 2017. Fast forward to 2019, she participated in a Brixton Village competition that rewarded the winner with an opportunity to operate a three-month pop-up restaurant.  

“When I won, it was almost like a sign to go, “OK, you can now do those things that you want to do. There is an avenue for me to get on doing food more professionally.”

In September 2020, months after the triumphant win, Chishuru was born as a pop-up serving contemporary West African dishes. The restaurant’s West African cuisine quickly gained popularity among the Brits, especially customers who grew up in West Africa and were familiar with the region’s culinary offerings, earning her a feature on Great British Chefs in 2023 and a recognition in the top 100 restaurants in the UK at the National Restaurant Awards.

Photo source: Instagram/@chishuru

By 2023, Chishuru had outgrown Brixton Village, prompting a move to Fitzrovia, London.

“With a mixture of great relief and excitement we can finally announce that reservations are now OPEN for our restaurant in Fitzrovia!” read a post shared on the restaurant’s official Instagram page in August 2023.

A Michelin-starred restaurant

Photo source: Instagram/@chishuru

On Monday, February 6, news broke that Chishuru achieved the Michelin milestone, less than six months after setting up a permanent place in Fitzrovia in September 2023.

“Until this morning I was just focused on enjoying the accolade itself, which I’m hugely honoured by. But seeing reactions on social media today, I’m starting to feel a weight of responsibility on my shoulders too. It’s lovely,” she said in an interview.

Nigerians have also taken to social media to celebrate chef Adejoke Bakare for the inspiring and record-breaking feat.

What does Chishuru serve?

Chef Adejoke Bakare told the Guardian that Chishuru’s menu is not restricted to Nigeria food.

“You can’t describe our food as “Nigerian” though, because there’s no one food tradition… much of the culinary history predates the lines on a map. My parents are Yoruba and Igbo, and I grew up in Hausa territory, so my food is informed by all three of those culinary styles.”

The restaurant offers a set menu only, priced at £75pp for dinner and £35pp for lunch. Chishuru’s lunch menu features fermented crispy rice cake with smoky, meaty mushrooms, creamy and light corn cake with fragrant coconut, date and tamarind sauce and grilled breadfruit. For dinner, the restaurant serves moi-moi (bean cake, bone marrow, omelette, red pepper, scallop roe), peppersoup (seasonal shellfish, radish, apple), asun (roasted cull goat belly, glaze, pepper relish) and imoyo (Newlyn cod fillet, fermented tomato sauce, Scotch bonnet, okra).

Want to start your culinary journey? This article offers insights: How to Become a Chef in Nigeria

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