The Africa Centre is looking for a new chef and team to look after its restaurant and bar at its new home in Southwark.

The charity is relocating from Covent Garden to Gunpowder House, a four-storey former office block built in the 1960s.

Due to open in autumn next year, the charity is hoping to find a “talented and experienced restaurateur with strong ties to Africa and relationships within the African diaspora communities in the UK”.

The charity was once home to the former Calabash restaurant. An atmospheric basement space, it was well-known in the 1980s and was a point of entry for many Londoners hoping to find out more about African culture and cuisines.

Now, the centre hopes to expand its reach and appeal to more communities.

“The charity is keen to hear from any experienced restaurant and bar operator with a proven track record of overseeing the day-to-day operations of a contemporary African restaurant,” a spokesman told Big Hospitality

Recent years have seen a distinct rise in the number of West African restaurants in the mainstream dining circles of the capital, with Ikoyi, Chishuru, and Akoko some of the most prevalent.