Beyoncé donates £8,000 to a struggling North London Nigerian restaurant who were facing closure

Beyoncé has donated £8,000 to a struggling Nigerian restaurant in North London, who were at risk of closure due to rising energy bills.

Chuku’s, a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham run by brother and sister duo Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik, were one of 10 winners to receive a grant by the music superstar, 41, this month.

As part of her incredible Renaissance World Tour, the Halo hitmaker’s foundation BeyGOOD had pledged to donate a share of $1 million (£806,000) to ten businesses in cities around the world.

They included Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago and London – where Bey (worth an estimated £420 million) took to the stage five times in May and June with gigs at the nearby Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Though Chuku’s built up an impressive following since opening in 2020, they found themselves facing difficult times after launching during the pandemic including struggling with the cost if rising energy bills.

At the end of last year, the restaurant set themselves a huge challenge to get 600 bookings in six weeks. And impressively, they managed to get a whopping 801.

Emeka and Ifeyinwa found themselves facing a wealth of support from the local community as well A-list celebs and footballers keen to taste Chuku’s unique take on traditional Nigerian food.

And now they’ve been given an extra boost by Beyonce’s foundation, with the grant awarded during the The Black Parade Small Business Impact Luncheon, created by BeyGOOD to ‘celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities worldwide’.

The luncheon was held at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill, where 100 entrepreneurs gathered with the chance to bag $100,000 (£806,090) in prizes.

And with over 400 applicants, the win was all the more sweeter for the sibling duo seeing as they were only part of the two per cent of winners on the night.

Chuku co-founder Emeka said of the win: ‘This grant couldn’t be more welcome. Chuku’s, like other restaurants that don’t have a financial reserve, has been battered by lockdowns and the cost of living crisis.

‘Every day, we’re fighting to stay open to make it to our fourth birthday. This money will make that fight a little easier and allow us to continue celebrating Nigerian culture on Tottenham’s High Road for the time being.’

While his sister Ifeyinwa added: ‘I still can’t quite believe that Beyoncé has backed our restaurant – it feels a bit surreal.

‘We’d already felt her impact when she was in town and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level.’

On whether she believed the Cuff It singer had ever tasted their food, she told The Times: ‘We never knew [if] anyone came for a takeaway or had the food on the sly. I think it was about what we put in our application.’

Asked what difference the grant has made, added: ‘It helps keep you energised. To receive this award it’s someone saying, “We see you. We recognise your hard work.” This is one of those moments when it’s a fantastic push forward.’

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