The Beyonce Boost: How a North London Nigerian Restaurant Found Fame
When superstar Beyonce came to perform in the UK little did a brother and sister in north London know how it would change their lives. Ifeyinwa and Emeka Fredericks were struggling to build their restaurant when Beyonce’s charitable Foundation selected them to receive a big $10,000 donation to transform their business: “To be able to say you’ve been supported by the world’s biggest superstar brings a level of publicity you can’t buy”, says Ifey, “The money is one thing but equally we won the currency of attention and we’re still feeling It’.
Chuku’s: The UK’s First Nigerian Tapas Restaurant
The brother and sister team founded Chuku’s, the UK’s first Nigerian Tapas restaurant, just weeks before the pandemic struck and forced its closure. Now thanks to Beyonce’s generosity their business to starting to go from strength to strength: “We’ll never know what made the Beyonce Foundation choose us”, said Ifey, “as there were so many deserving businesses that applied for the grants.
Celebrity Attention and Viral News: The Chuku’s Experience
“It was a fantastic experience. The news went viral and gave our restaurant the sort of attention you can only dream of. “At the awards, Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles spoke to us about some of his entrepreneurial experiences, and even Beyonce’s mum mentioned us on her Instagram and that was invaluable. There was a real buzz around us and it brought us onto people’s radar”.
The Journey of Chuku’s: From Pop-Up to High Street
Ifey and Emeka’s restaurant began life as a modest pop up in East London six years ago. In 2018 they were Finalists in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Family Business category. That led to the opening of their first restaurant in North London where they delight in bringing Nigerian cuisine to the high street.
The Chuku’s Vision: A Celebration of Nigerian Cuisine
According to Emeka it’s the first step towards achieving his dream of creating a chain of Chuku Nigerian restaurants around the UK and internationally: “The mission is to celebrate the best and the beauty of Nigerian cuisine. We’re so proud of our Nigerian heritage and we want to share Nigeria’s culture with the world.
Discovering Unique Recipes: Emeka’s Culinary Travels
To do that Emeka has traveled widely around Nigeria, uncovering new recipes from a country of more than 250 million people with 250 different ethnic groups and more than 500 different languages. He says that makes Chuku’s deliver a rich menu of culinary delights: “My favourite on our menu is a rice pancake called Sinasir.
Overcoming Challenges: Resilience in the Face of a Pandemic
She admits that their entrepreneurial journey hasn’t always been easy: “There have been dark days. Perhaps the worst was the third lockdown during the Covid pandemic. The government announced it with little warning.
Unwavering Faith: The Entrepreneurial Journey
“Our Dad runs his own small business so we knew how difficult the journey would be. We knew it would be rolling up our sleeves for a relentless journey, but I don’t think anything really prepares you for the real thing. I learned it’s important to keep faith in yourself and what you’re doing.
The Lemonade Mentality: From Hardships to Success
Perhaps that was the passion that Beyonce’s people saw in Chuku’s when they selected them for funding. On her album “Lemonade” in the song “Freedom” Beyonce introduces us to the 90-year-old Hattie White who says: “I had my ups and downs but I always found the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons but I made lemonade”. Ifey and Emeka are clearly following Hattie’s recipe in their restaurant.
Chuku’s and the Future: The Taste of Success
They’ve come through some tough days but now they are on their way to bringing their African cuisine to a global audience.
That’s the taste of success.
