Bakare-owned Chishuru’s star puts West African cuisine in the spotlight with its exceptional cooking, raising the bar for culinary services in the UK.
By Helena Olori
Home and abroad, African home-grown chefs continue to put the continent on the global maps with their remarkable feats in the global food service industry. This time, it is Nigerian-born London-based chef, Adejoke Bakare, who makes history as the first black female chef in the UK to be awarded a Michelin star.
Her restaurant, Chishuru, located in London’s Fitzrovia district, has earned the highly-coveted recognition in less than six months after transitioning from a pop-up shop in Brixton Village to a permanent establishment. The West African cuisine, fast gaining traction for its unique modern West African dishes, began as a pop-up in September 2020 after Bakare won a competition in Brixton Village.
According to the Michelin Guide, Chishuru’s star, one of the 18 awarded on Monday, puts West African cuisine in the spotlight with their exceptional cooking, raising the bar for culinary services in the UK. “Bakare’s style is unique and the restaurant is a wonderful reflection of her personality and her cooking – it is fun, full of life, generous and hugely enjoyable”, added the chief inspector.
A Michelin star is a mark of distinction awarded to restaurants by the Michelin Guide, a renowned culinary guidebook and one of the most influential and authoritative references in the industry. The award is given based on the quality of products, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience, harmony of the flavours, and consistency between inspectors’ visits.
Describing her win as surreal, Bakare tells The Guardian, “It hasn’t sunk in yet. 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.”
Adejoke Bakare, whose love for cooking began at the early age of 11, enjoys sharing her Yoruba-Igbo culinary heritage – spiced with dishes from Northern Nigeria where she was raised – with guests. “Much of the culinary history predates the lines on a map”, she noted, emphasising the diverse nature of West African cuisine.
Prior to this feat, Chishuru was, in 2023, shortlisted for the Estrella National Restaurant Award, listed as one of the 30 hottest restaurants in London, featured in Evening Standard Restaurants of the Year, and Financial Times’ list of London’s best new restaurants, among several others.