Adejoké Bakare has emerged as a ground-breaking figure in the UK culinary world. With her London restaurant Chishuru she is redefining fine dining with modern West African cuisine and, in early 2024, became the first Black woman in the United Kingdom to receive a Michelin star. Her journey is one of innovation, resilience and cultural expression.
Bakare grew up in Kaduna, Nigeria, where her mixed Yoruba and Igbo heritage exposed her to a rich array of culinary traditions. According to interviews, she studied biological sciences before relocating to the UK, where she served in roles outside the kitchen before pursuing her passion for cooking. Her early food-ventures included a fish-and-chips cart and supper clubs, ultimately leading to her decisive break in 2019 when she won a Brixton Village competition to launch a pop-up restaurant. Her restaurant Chishuru opened as a pop-up in 2020 and relocated to a permanent venue in Fitzrovia in 2023.
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Her restaurant Chishuru became not only a London sensation but a global landmark in inclusive fine dining. The Michelin Guide awarded Chishuru a star on 5 February 2024, making Bakare the UK’s first Black female Michelin-starred chef and only the second Black woman in the world to achieve the distinction. The review noted her cuisine as “unique… a wonderful reflection of her personality and her cooking. It is fun, full of life, generous and hugely enjoyable,” according to the chief Michelin inspector.
Beyond the accolade, Bakare’s vision for West African food is expansive. At Chishuru she deliberately introduces diners to ingredients and dishes unfamiliar to many, explaining fermented rice cake sinasir, moi-moi (bean cake), or ekoki (corn cake) as part of her culinary narrative. According to The Guardian, she said “you can’t describe our food as Nigerian though, because there’s no one food tradition… 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.”
Her leadership and influence have been recognized across the industry. In 2024 she won the AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award, and she was named Woman of the Year at CODE Hospitality’s ceremony in the same period. These honours reflect her role as both chef and trailblazer in gastronomy.
Bakare’s trajectory speaks to a broader narrative: that African cuisine and chefs are gaining rightful visibility and reverence in global fine dining. Her success has sparked momentum for modern West African restaurants in London and beyond, and she continues to stress the importance of representation, diversity and cultural pride.
Adejoké Bakare is doing more than serving dishes, she is advancing culinary culture, rewriting expectations, and proving that excellence comes in many flavours. Her story offers inspiration not only to chefs but to anyone seeking to merge heritage with innovation and turn a passion into pioneering achievement.
