Meet Adejoke Bakare, the trailblazing chef and restaurateur behind London’s Michelin-starred Chishuru restaurant. Her journey from HR professional to a renowned chef is an inspirational story of passion, perseverance, and celebrating African cuisine.
About Adejoke Bakare
Growing up in Nigeria, Adejoke developed a love for food watching her grandma cook traditional dishes. Though her career took her into human resources, cooking remained a creative outlet. In 2017, with urging from friends, she began hosting pop-up supper clubs serving her unique blend of West African flavors.
The supper clubs were a hit, leading Adejoke to enter a 2019 competition for a restaurant residency in Brixton Village. Despite no formal training, her cooking blew away the judges. She launched the pop-up Chishuru, fusing influences from across West Africa into contemporary dishes.
Chishuru
Critics and diners were smitten. Chishuru outgrew its small space as accolades poured in, including being named one of the UK’s 100 best restaurants. After raising £50,000 through crowdfunding, Chishuru relocated to Fitzrovia in 2023.
The larger location allowed Adejoke vision to fully shine. She trained her staff in butchery to make the most of the meat they served. Standout dishes included ekuru, a wheat cake topped with pumpkin seed pesto and Scotch bonnet sauce, showcasing flavors from across West Africa.
Just months after re-opening, Chishuru received a Michelin star, making Adejoke Bakare the first black female chef in the UK to earn the honor. She was overjoyed but also felt the weight of responsibility to represent African cuisine.
Adejoke stresses that there’s no one definition of West African food. “There’s no such thing as ‘Nigerian cuisine,'” she explains. “It’s a huge country with many different food traditions.” Her goal is to fuse styles and create new dishes, not pursue “authenticity.”
The road to Michelin glory hasn’t been easy. Adejoke landlords refusing to rent to a West African restaurant. But she persisted, eventually finding the perfect home for Chishuru to flourish.
While proud of the accolades, Adejoke is most satisfied with being able to cook on her own terms and share the food she loves. She runs a welcoming kitchen focused on teamwork.
Adejoke has decisively broken barriers for black chefs and African cuisine. Her ascent from pop-up to Michelin star in just a few years is remarkable. Most of all, she exemplifies following one’s passion. She brought her true self into the kitchen, and earned well-deserved success by celebrating the flavors of her upbringing.
Adejoke Bakare is a trailblazer. Her journey has inspired chefs from diverse backgrounds to stay true to themselves. Chishuru’s Michelin star signals a turning point. Most importantly, Adejoke found joy in sharing her culture’s rich culinary traditions. That sincere passion is what makes her cooking, and her story, so special.
