Draft:Chef Stone

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• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Chefstone (talk) 17:02, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Abiola Akanji (born January 29, 1984), professionally known as Chef Stone, is a Nigerian chef, restaurateur, and author. He is the founder of the Pan-African fine dining restaurant The Burgundy, the Red Dish Chronicles culinary school, and Truck Central, West Africa's first food truck park. Akanji is a prominent figure in the movement to elevate and modernize African cuisine.

Akanji was born on January 29, 1984, in Isolo, Lagos State, Nigeria. He developed an interest in cooking during his childhood, learning from his mother.^[1] He briefly studied Business Administration at the University of Lagos before moving to the United Kingdom, where he earned a degree in Business Management from London Metropolitan University.^[2] He later received professional culinary training at the French Culinary Institute and the International Culinary Education Centre in New York City.^[3]

After working in several restaurants in London, Akanji returned to Nigeria to start his culinary career. He began by sharing his food creations on social media, which led to the founding of his first company, Red Dish Chronicles.^[1]

What began as small cooking classes from his home kitchen grew into the Red Dish Chronicles, a professional culinary school with campuses in Lagos and Abuja. The school has trained over 7,000 chefs and offers a range of programs, from professional diplomas to amateur courses.^[4]

In February 2022, Akanji opened The Burgundy, a Pan-African fine dining restaurant in Abuja. The restaurant offers an 18-seat, reservation-only experience with a 7-course tasting menu featuring ingredients sourced exclusively from the African continent.^[5] The launch event, a $1,000-per-couple dinner, garnered significant media attention.^[6]

Inspired by the 2014 film Chef, Akanji founded Truck Central, the first food truck park in West Africa. The park started with a single truck in 2019 and officially launched in Abuja in 2023. It has since expanded to Lagos and hosts over 20 food vendors.^[7]

Akanji has authored several books, including 30 Easy Meal Ideas and Chef Stone Takes Africa.^[8] He also runs a consulting firm, Red Dish Consulting, which specializes in setting up restaurants and food trucks.^[9]

In October 2024, Akanji gave a TEDx talk at TEDxMaitama titled "The Power of Vision and Grit in Transforming an Entire Industry".^[10] He is a regular participant at the GTBank Food and Drink Festival and has been featured in Empire Magazine Africa and Duke International Magazine.^[11][1]

• 2021: Named one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in the Creatives 100 category.^[3]
• 2025: Named one of the Top 20 Global Trailblazers at the Canadian Global Awards.^[12]

Akanji is married to Abosede Abiodun and they have two sons.^[1]