Beyoncé makes donation to struggling Nigerian restaurant in Tottenham
The pop icon donated £8000 after a recent run of stadium shows in North London
By Joe Goggins
Beyoncé has donated £8000 to a struggling Nigerian restaurant in Tottenham, just weeks after wrapping up a residency in North London.
The pop icon brought her Renaissance world tour to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on May 29, playing a five-nights stand that ran through to June 4. As part of the huge global jaunt, she has been giving back to worthy causes through her BeyGOOD foundation, which hosted The Black Parade Small Business Impact Luncheon in London earlier this week.
Held at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill, the summit saw 100 entrepreneurs gathering in the hopes of taking away a slice of $100,000 (£86,090) in prizes. Among the winners was Chuku’s, a Tottenham eatery which offers its own unique twist on classic Nigerian cuisine. The restaurant has proved a hit with celebrities, particularly footballers, since it opened in 2020, but has recently been hit with soaring energy costs that threw its future into doubt.
Over 400 applicants submitted requests to BeyGOOD for grants, but just two percent came away with them, with Chuku’s owners, brother and sister Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik, among those successful. The £8000 Beyoncé donated will help to secure the future of the restaurant. “This grant couldn’t be more welcome,” said Emeka, via Daily Mail. “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,” he went on. “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.” Ifeyinwa also weighed in on the award, saying: “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.,” she went on. Asked whether or not Beyoncé herself had sampled Chuku’s offering, she said: “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.”
“It helps keep you energised,” Ifeyinwa continued on the award’s impact. “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.”