Joké Bakare on Nigerian Food, Michelin Stars and West African Hospitality

Chef Joké Bakare joins Lecker for a live recording at the Festival of Encounters in Brixton - the same neighbourhood where she first emerged from the tube in 1999 to encounter the bright lights of Brixton. From selling 300-400 meat pies every Sunday outside her church to becoming the first Black female Michelin-starred chef in the UK, Joké's journey is one of persistence, community, and staying true to the food she grew up with.

We talk about growing up in a multi-ethnic Nigerian household where food was a celebration of Yoruba and Igbo cultures, the specific ripeness of plantain that matters more than most people realise, and why she refuses to call her cooking "elevated."

Many thanks to Van Gogh House for including Lecker in the 2025 Festival of Encounters programme! Special thanks to Anna Bromwich and Elysia Krishnadasan Torrens for all their work putting it together. And thanks to everyone who came to the event. 

About Joké Bakare: Joké Bakare is a Nigerian chef and founder of Chishuru Restaurant in Fitzrovia, London. She started her business with a food van outside her church in Southeast London, won a competition for a popup residency in Brixton Village, and in 2024 became the first Black female Michelin-starred chef in the UK.

Find her: Instagram @jokebakare / @chishuru / chishuru.com

Related Lecker episodes:

Permission to Write with Melissa Thompson - on navigating a violent colonial legacy in the food of your heritage

Matooke Goes With Everything - on the significance and specificity of sourcing ingredients

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Lecker is a podcast about how food shapes our lives. Recorded mostly in kitchens, each episode explores personal stories to examine our relationships with food – and each other.

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