Akwasi Brenya-Mensa's Kickstarter for Tatale

Tatale: Expanding the reach of African cuisines

Help support the opening of my Pan-African restaurant Tatale, and my mission to pave the way for all future African culinary projects.

Please click here to watch the kickstarter video and find out more.

Intro

My name is Akwasi Brenya-Mensa. I am a Ghanaian raised in Britain by Ghanaian parents. I am starting this Kickstarter to raise funds to open my restaurant, Tatale, in July this year.

Tatale is a contemporary Pan-African restaurant concept that tells stories through food, art and culture. It explores indigenous ingredients and techniques from across the Continent. For too long, African cuisines in the UK and elsewhere have been sidelined. They haven’t been offered the space in the public sphere that they deserve. I want to change that and you can help by supporting this Kickstarter.

Why is this so important?

I tell stories through the lens of African Futurism and I view this work as part of my ambition to advance racial equality in the UK. I’m passionate about telling these stories because growing up in London in the 80s, I remember wanting ham or jam sandwiches for school lunch because that’s what the other kids had. I remember loving fufu but never wanting to eat in front of non-Ghanaians. I remember wanting to fit in.

For immigrants and children of immigrants, food is central to our sense of identity and belonging. I believe it’s time we had a culinary landscape that better reflects the diversity of this country.

Returning to the UK following a trip home to Ghana in 2019, I was motivated to create something that helped to bring African cuisines into the mainstream. I knew that I wanted to build a concept that made more space for these cuisines to thrive and flourish. I got my first ever kitchen job in September 2020 at 12:51 restaurant by Great British Menu Winner, James Cochran. Thanks in part to this experience and the support of many, in May 2021 I launched Tatale.