Ayo Adeyemi

The Path

A career built in stages shows up first in the kitchen line: Ayo Adeyemi started as a part-time chef at a small fine dining restaurant in Birmingham, where service rhythm and kitchen discipline were formed early. The next step moved the work beyond the UK to Akko in Rijkhoven, Belgium, where he worked as chef and continued sharpening a style that was becoming more defined. By the time he became Executive Chef at Akoko in London (2021–2024), the throughline was clear: each role added range, control, and a wider frame for the cooking.

The Work Today

West African cuisine sits at the center of Adeyemi’s work, not as motif but as subject. Ayo Adeyemi has described it plainly: “It’s experiencing West African culture.” That framing carries through the food itself, in West African cuisine, West African-inspired dishes, and West African flavours presented with intent and clarity. The cooking reads as a return to memory and heritage while staying firmly in the register of a professional kitchen, where identity and technique are allowed to meet without embellishment.

Career - Part-time chef — small fine dining restaurant, Birmingham - Executive Chef — Akoko, London (2021–2024) - Chef — Akko, Rijkhoven, Belgium

Signature

Suya is listed among Ayo Adeyemi’s signature dishes. That choice fits the larger approach: a dish with immediate recognition, built on directness rather than complication, and able to carry flavor with minimal explanation.

In Their Words Mentorship is part of the craft line here, and Ayo Adeyemi names the influence directly: “My old mentor and friend Chef Ryan Clift, for his expressive style and creativity, and showing me a no holds barred style approach to cooking.” The emphasis is on expression and permission — a kitchen attitude that values range, conviction, and the willingness to cook without restraint. Adeyemi has also described the engine behind the food with similar clarity: “My inspiration the cuisine here at the restaurant, and for myself personally, is really just going back to my roots.” In trade terms, that points to a practice rooted in source material rather than reference, where the work is strongest when it returns to what it knows best.

Acclaim

Michelin Star is among Ayo Adeyemi’s honors. As recognition goes, it places the work in a field where consistency, precision, and discipline are measured against the highest standard, and where a steadily built career can be read in the result.

FAQ What recognition has Ayo Adeyemi received? Michelin Star (2024).