Founder of Shakara Restaurant, Osazee Bazuaye, popularly referred to as Bazu, has said the Forbes mention of the London based restaurant as one of the top places to dine and wine in UK will spur the thriving hospitality centre to go for more excellence in its delivery of service to its customers.
Speaking in an interview with reporters, Bazu also said the crowning of Shakara as the Best New Restaurant at the British Restaurant Awards was a humbling experience to the outfit and its dedicated workforce.
Shakara , a leading African restaurant in London, is revelling in the recent positive global limelight the brand has earned itself.
Since inception, Shakara has been showcasing Nigerian and African culture, music, cuisines and warm hospitality to the world, was crowned recently as the Best New Restaurant at the British Restaurant Awards and got nomination in the Best International Cuisine Category. Owing to its world class services, rave reviews among customers and authentic menu list, it received a mention by Forbes, in a brazen acknowledgment of its strides and achievements.
Beyond just being a restaurant, Shakara has become an identity for Africans living in London and the UK. Bazuaye, who is fondly known as Bazu, is an investor in the food, beverages and hospitality sector in Nigeria and abroad for the last 20 years, disclosed that the honours are spotlighting the brand to deliver even more in its name.
“You know when you get featured by things like this in the press, it just opened your market. It opens your market to new customers, it opens your market to new clients, it opens your market to other people that have not known about the brand. It increases your patronage, it increases your business and it puts you to be able to deliver, to match up. You know what they say? To whom much is given, much is expected,” the Shakara boss stated.
“When you get this kind of exposure, you need to be relentless about it, you need to keep working on your standard and not relent on your standard. No cutting corners. You need to keep improving and then try to deliver the best to the people, then you can meet the standard and expectation of the people for a business that has been mentioned by the press around the world.”
Shakara is highly regsrded in the UK food and hospitality market. Apart from the huge patronage by Africans in London, foreigners are also embracing the culture of eating African food, courtesy of the brand’s enchanting original cuisines and world class service delivery, warming its way into people’s belly.
“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 . The Nigerian jollof is on the race of its own. In the last three to five years, the Nigerian jollof 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, out friend plantain (dodo), then our Suya; we have the Lamp 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,” he stated.
The Shakara co-founder highlighted that the major killer of the business is compromising standards for profit-making.
“Number one, you should never ever try to cut corners. In hospitality, once you promise your customers, make sure you give them, go far and give them, as long as it is within the confines of the law and it does not hinder you in any way. Don’t ever, ever cut corners about what the business is about. Just stay true to it, never cut corners. Give your customers the best services, deliver it like that everyday,” the Shakara boss warned.
It is perceived that as in other areas of commerce, Nigeria’s hospitality business is playing catch up globally. However, the Shakara co-owner who is widely exposed as a major player, dismissed such idea, stressing that the industry in Africa’s most populous nation can compete with the best in the world.
“Honestly, the Nigerian hospitality industry is very competitive. When you go to restaurants, lounges or night clubs in Nigeria, when you see the aesthetics or what is put into it, we rank among one of the best in the whole world, it is high up there. It is just that the purchasing power of most of our people is not there but we are getting there, it is one day at a time,” said Osazee Bazuaye
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