Aji Akokomi

He also opened Akara in Borough Yards in 2023, which received a Bib Gourmand in 2026. After retraining at Leiths in 2017, Aji travelled across West Africa, studying traditional cooking techniques, ingredients and food systems. His research included time with sustainable palm nut oil producers in Accra, working in his mother’s bakery in Ibadan and learning about jollof rice traditions in Dakar, Senegal, which has inspired one of Akoko’s signature dishes.