Just 6 Michelin stars for black chefs? Fine dining focus and underrepresentation of African cuisines make the accolade hard to come by

The Michelin Guide keeps growing, but the number of black chefs with a star does not. Just six Michelin-star restaurants globally have black executive chefs

More than 30 international locations have dedicated guides, but Michelin publishes no guides for the Caribbean and Africa. Chefs express their frustration

Reading Time:5 minutes

James Cochran runs 12:51, his own restaurant in London. As the century-old Michelin guide expands, black chefs continue to miss out on stars, with African food overlooked. Photo: Instagram/@1251_twelve_fifty_one

Published: 4:15am, 23 Aug 2023Updated: 5:41am, 23 Aug 2023

Earning a Michelin star can elevate a dining spot to the highest ranks of culinary attention.

But even though Michelin Guides have been published for a century and have recently gone on an expansion tear, the number of Michelin-star restaurants run by black chefs is in the single digits.

The issue was thrust into the limelight after British actor Will Poulter, who appeared in the hit television show The Bear, said in a July interview that food of African origin is “massively under-represented at the fine-dining level”.

Just six Michelin-star restaurants around the world have black executive chefs. The chefs are Michael Caines, Charlie Mitchell, Marcel Ravin, Mory Sacko, Gerald Sombright and Georgiana Viou.

Poulter’s clip has amplified an ongoing question: why are some food cultures overlooked – and who sets that standard?

“It is the gold medal for most chefs to receive the Michelin star,” says Ayo Adeyemi, head chef at London’s Akoko, a restaurant Poulter called out as deserving a star.

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