Why is African food still awaiting its moment to shine?

By Rachel Graham2025-10-24T14:54:00

African culture is making a big impact in the UK, so why isn’t African food? Brands predict we could be at the start of a curve that sees the likes of jollof rice, moi moi and akara make inroads on to British plates

In 2023, Burna Boy became the first African music artist to sell out the London Stadium. Londoners were hardly starved for choice that night, as Beyoncé was playing down the road at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That an African artist was matching a global pop icon in taking the stage at one of the capital’s pre-eminent stadium venues was a sign of how influential west African culture, and Nigerian culture in particular, is becoming in the UK.

Why is African food still awaiting its moment to shine?

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