Adeyemi Okafor

About

Where French pastry technique meets Nigerian soul food, Adeyemi Okafor transforms humble ingredients into culinary poetry, his scarred hands telling stories of generations of kitchen wisdom. His croissants whisper of Paris, while his jollof rice thunders with Lagos street energy—a delicious rebellion against culinary boundaries.

Backstory

Three copper pots tumbled from the ship's galley as twelve-year-old Adeyemi gripped the rail, watching his village in Nigeria disappear forever while his grandmother Marie whispered French lullabies to calm his tears. The refugee camp in Provence became their unlikely sanctuary, where Marie discovered that her rusty baking skills could trade for extra rations and hope. Years later, when arthritis finally stole her ability to knead dough, Adeyemi's hands became hers, learning not just her recipes but the alchemy of turning flour and grief into something that could feed a community's soul. After her death, he carried her worn notebook to Paris, where the legendary Jean-Baptiste Leclair initially dismissed him as "the refugee boy" until Adeyemi's pain-infused pastries moved the master chef to tears. Now back in Les Baux-de-Provence, his bakery stands as a beacon for other displaced souls, where the aroma of home can be found in any language.

Gallery