Why you need to take a bite of the West African food scene

West African food is finally being celebrated in the hospitality sector - but why has it taken so long, asks Nadine Brown ?

In February 2024, after the Christmas trees had been packed away and all those unwanted gifts had found their way onto Vinted, the hospitality sector geared up for a second round of gift giving in the shape of the restaurant world’s biggest accolade, the Michelin star awards.

Two London stand-outs receiving their first stars were Chishuru and Akoko , a significant achievement as they specialise in menus featuring dishes of West African descent. Chishuru in particular had something very special to celebrate as their founder and head chef Joke Bakare did not only become the first black female Michelin-starred chef in the UK but also the second black female Michelin-starred chef in the world. No small feat given that before then, only six Michelin-starred restaurants in the world were run by black chefs.

UNDER THE RADAR

It'd be easy to think that this show of appreciation for West African cuisine is a new phenomenon but of course, like most food not readily recognised as part of mainstream culture, it’s largely a case of being underappreciated and overlooked. For those that have grown up with the cuisine, it was already on the radar. They regularly popped to Tottenham’s Uncle John’s Bakery for sweet bread and packets of chin chin (a fried wheat snack), tucked into plates of chicken Yassa (a Senegalese chicken and caramalised onion stew) at Peckham’s Little Baobab or enjoyed jollof (a tomato and spice rice dish) with various stews at Dalston’s Aso Rock. And before the pandemic, when pop-ups were all the rage, people travelled near and far for a taste of ‘Chukus’ before they opened their permanent restaurant in N15, becoming the world’s first Nigerian tapas eatery.? ?

MORE THAN MICHELIN

Speaking to Ifeyinwa Frederick, the sister half of the sibling duo behind Chukus, about what makes their menu so appealing to customers, she spoke of Londoners being open to new tastes and flavours. Along with brother Emeka, they wanted to deliver a taste of their culture to the UK, with their restaurant representing the boisterous nature of the Nigerian home.

Thing is, when it comes to Michelin starred restaurants, ‘boisterous’ doesn’t necessarily come to mind – more technical skill and precision, less warm and vibrant. And yet a recent visit to Chishuru was all that and more. The hospitality felt like being catered to by friends and the menu gutsy, with impressive cocktails was designed to ensure a good time. Here is proof that gourmet food can be free of pretension - fine dining AND fun.

TIME TO GET TASTING

But is being honoured by possibly the world’s most prestigious culinary awards enough to give West African food the credit it deserves? According to the Office for National Statistics, the two most online searched cuisines across the UK are Indian and Italian with no cuisine of the African diaspora in the top 10. This, even though the black population of the UK make up the third largest ethnic group.

“The appetite is there,” Ifeyinwa points out, “But if someone writes an article tomorrow about the top 10 West African restaurants in the country, I know exactly which 10 they’re going to be. Imagine if we had 20, or even 50 restaurants that people automatically knew the names of? More and more people would get to experience it.“

THE CHANCE TO CHOOSE

This isn’t to say that Michelin stars aren’t a boon for these businesses. They deserve all the accolades - just look at Ikoyi’s Instagram (another Michelin starred restaurant that focuses on West African flavours in London). Their dishes delicately styled on earthen ceramics, are works of art. But equally as important is the availability and hype of grassroots restaurants with wide appeal and access. We booked our table at Chishuru before their star, which meant managing to get a table without the month-long wait.

Whether the egusi (a melon seed soup) ordered is classic or modernised, having the option to try it either high end or high street is important, and that representation matters across the board. With Bakare snatching another award, ‘UK’s Best New Chef’, at the Conde Nast Traveller UKs Top New Restaurant Awards along with Be Inclusive Hospitality founder Lorraine Copes winning the ‘Game-Changer’ award for her work accelerating racial equality in hospitality, the recognition increases, and the community is more than ready for it.

The team at 7C3 love to chat food! Get in touch if you'd like to know more about our work in this area: [email protected] .

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