Adejoké Bakare

Adejoké "Joké" Bakare is a British Nigerian-born chef specialising in West African cuisine. Largely self taught, in 2024, she became the first Black woman in the United Kingdom to be awarded a Michelin-star. Later that year, she was named Chef of the Year at the National Restaurant Awards.

Biography

Early life Bakare was born and grew up in Kaduna, Nigeria. She is Yoruba, her father is Yoruba and her mother is of Igbo ancestry, and she grew up in the northern part of Nigeria; which exposed her to a variety of cultural influences growing up. She states her inspiration as her paternal grandmother who made Yoruba street food. While studying biomedical sciences at [ Ahamadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna state, she supported herself by running a fish-and-chips cart.

In 1999, she moved to the United Kingdom to study. While working in various fields including property management, Bakare continued her interest in and love of cooking. A self-taught chef, she operated a street food van outside her church, and later hosted supper clubs, sharing her interest in west African cuisine.

In 2019, her friends encouraged her to enter the Brixton Kitchen cooking competition, where the grand prize was a three month pop up shop in Brixton Village.

Chishuru In September 2020, Bakare opened Chishuru, a pop-up restaurant in Brixton, London specialising in modern West African cuisine.

Chishuru would appear in several other popup locations across London, before outgrowing their Brixton site. In September 2023, Bakare and Chishuru settled in Fitzrovia.

On 5 February 2024, Chishuru and head chef Bakare were awarded a Michelin-star. With the recognition, Bakare became the first black woman in the United Kingdom to become a Michelin-starred chef.

In June 2024, Bakare was named "Chef of the Year" at Time Out's National Restaurant Awards.