How Bazu’s Shakara Restaurant is showcasing Nigeria’s rich cuisines, culture to the world

With a blend of cultural diplomacy, creative marketing, and culinary entrepreneurship, Sharaka Restaurant, the brain child of Nigeria’s visionary businessman, Osazee Bazuaye, fondly referred to as Bazu, has become the indisputable vendor of Nigerian cuisines in London, United Kingdom.

Shakara positions Nigerian cuisines as vibrant, flavourful, and diverse, beyond just “African food” but as an identity and element of the continent’s rich culture, the acceptability of which it has vastly contributed to among the global population well represented in the culturally-diversed London itself.

On the international stage, Shakara sufficiently tells the stories of Nigeria’s culture of hospitality through delicious cuisines, further popularising the likes of globally-acclaimed jollof rice, and efo riro, plantain, suya, among other irresistible items that sit regularly on their menu.

Co-owned by Bazu, an indigene of Edo State who established chains of businesses in the country before going abroad to pursue a reputation in the food, beverages and hospitality sector. For two decades, he has built a name synonymous to excellence in the enterprise. Shakara as a brand, prides itself as an essential service provider, hence its successes and wide acceptability. It is unrivaled among its competitors in the United Kingdom, standing tall in its quality of services, delivery and how it makes its customers feel homely.

‘Every month, we have continued to grow, grow and grow. The people knowing about Nigeria’s cuisine and culture. And to the foreigners, they are eager and happy to know about Nigerian culture, Nigerian music and culture, so it has been an interesting and positive response from everybody,” the Shakara boss said in an interview.

“I think the cuisine that catches the eye among foreigners and people that are used to enjoying our African food is our ever-popular, ever-irrepressible Nigerian jollof rice. The Nigerian jollof is on the race of its own. In the last three to five years, the Nigerian jollof rice is the most popular international cuisine; it is the most international dish. Everyday people realise the beauty of the Nigerian jollof.

“The Nigerian jollof is the main staple food here, our friend plantain (dodo), then our Suya; we have the Lamb Suya and Beef Suya, which are kind of street food you know in Nigeria, so we’ve been able to bring it to our customers here in London, which they have received so well. It is one of their favourites.

“Then we also have the efo riro, which is very famous in the western part of Nigeria. It is a soup or stew that you can use to eat anything like rice, so we put a distinction in the efo riro. Then you have like sea food or fish on efo riro. Those three or four cuisine have been very impactful. Then for our business, we incorporated the Nigerian chinchin.

“We infused African dishes, the plantain chips which is very famous. So those are just some of our menu that are original. They represent us as Nigerians and Africans and we want the whole world to see what we have to offer. Nigerian and African cuisine can dominate anywhere in the world and everyone would be happy to have it and enjoy it”, added Bazu.

Sharaka recently won the Best New Restaurant at the British Restaurant Awards, and also bagged nomination in the Best International Cuisine category, underscoring its excellence as a brand. More so, it got a mention by Forbes, which has further expanded and enhanced its growing profile across the globe.

“We were just doing our job, doing the best we can, giving out the best trying to promote the culture, our food, hospitality, how we receive people, how accommodating we are, we are just trying to do our best, we were not thinking about any award,” Osaze Bazuaye said about the award.

“So the award came and it was like a plus to all our effort, like the testament of the effort we have put into the business over the years. It has been a long time coming. My business partner and I have been in this business for over 20 years. It is like a testament to all the hard work and dedication we’ve put into this job. So it was like a bit of a caring effort that we’ve been recognised as the best new restaurant. And we were also nominated for the Best International Cuisine as well”, said the Shakara founder.