‘Little Baobab’ with Khadim Mane: 10 years serving Senegalese cuisine in London

Meet Peckham restaurant owner, Khadim Mane, who founded a Senegalese restaurant in 2015 called 'Little Baobab.' 

Located on Unit 504 of the artsy Peckham levels in the Southern London borough, lies a quaint West African diner that proudly showcases the taste of Senegalese cuisine. Owner and head chef, Khadim Mane, hails from Dakar, Senegal, and has lived in London for the past 14 years, where he saw that there were few Senegalese restaurants in the area, and took it upon himself “to change that whilst sharing my passion for my country’s roots, its music and its cuisine”. This was the motivation that birthed the ‘Little Baobab.’

Khadim Mane’s story is one of a successful entrepreneur. Moving to London in 2010, he knew nothing about the culinary world, until he was offered an opportunity at a Moroccan restaurant, before he left to build his own restaurant here in London back in 2015. This year marks the restaurant’s 10-year anniversary since its founding.

‘Little Baobab,’ well-positioned in the trendy and culturally bustling Peckham Levels, offers a variety of dishes for customers to try. From the menu, one can choose to order the restaurant’s signature dish: the ‘Theibou Dienne’ which consists of authentic jollof rice paired together with some carrots, aubergine, cassava and okra, and sea bass. The dish is a classic staple in francophone West Africa, eaten in countries including the neighbouring Gambia, Mali and Guinea, among others.

The menu also offers the opportunity to try out the ‘Mafe’ dish which is a succulent lamb dish (which can be substituted for vegetables to accommodate a vegetarian palate), together with a tangy peanut butter stew served with either rice or millet and topped off with salad. As for the chef, his favourite is the ‘Soupe Kandja’ – which, although not on the menu, is a combination of a fish and meat stew with okra and palm oil.

Peckham, sometimes dubbed as “Little Lagos,” is home to dozens of British West Africans – with many originally coming from Ghanaian and Nigerian backgrounds. The prevalence of West Africans in the region is greatly beneficial from a business standpoint. They provide a large market of potential customers that can experience what chef Mane’s describes as “Senegalese soul food,” and reconnect back with their African roots.

However, this also means that there’s stiff competition from the multiple other West African restaurants in the area which are known for having similar items on their menus as well – one prominent example being jollof rice – which has largely been monopolized by Nigerian and Ghanian restaurant menus despite originally coming from Senegal’s Djolof tribe.

Additionally, although there is a prominence of West Africans, there is a small population of Senegalese people compared to other African countries in the area. Thus, as a restaurant owner, Kadim must also consider expanding his consumer-base by adjusting his menu to a more inclusive one, by fitting the palates of other West African countries. This also potentially includes adapting traditional Senegalese flavours to fit the Western palate of the many non-west African Londoners – appealing to them as well. For example, toning down the level of spice that is normally used to create such dishes back home in Senegal.

This April, Senegal celebrated its 65-year milestone of independence from the French. The former French colony became an autonomous republic two years prior, and once it received its independence, it united with present-day Mali, before eventually standing alone as an independent republic. For the 17 million other Senegalese citizens like chef Mane, this marks a time in history to embrace their cultural identity and honour their heritage, which Mane does by reconnecting to his roots by the cooking of his food.

Describing his food, Mane says it’s “Authentic Senegalese soul food that’s healthy and delicious. It’s heart warming, affordable, and made with a lot of love.”