The Full Story

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   Creator - Founder : Chef Amani Reinah Garcea

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Early Career & Background

  Amani is a British-born chef of  Guyanese and Jamaican-Cuban heritage. Her cultural background deeply influences her culinary vision and commitment to celebrating Black food culture in the UK. Before becoming a chef, she had a successful  career as a photographer running her own business called Ebony Haze Inc LDN  — a creative and visual storytelling venture. 

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Transition to Professional Cooking

In 2019, Amani decided to pursue a career as a professional chef. She trained under chefs including Simon Boyle, Marcillio di Silva, Leon Seraphin Marco Feder with BaxterStorey. Her training was supported by PwC, and she completed her culinary qualification in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown.

 Entering the hospitality industry, she *noticed a lack of representation* — especially of Black chefs and food professionals in visible culinary roles — in restaurants, media, and wider food culture.

 

Founding the UK Black Chefs Network

Motivated by this gap, Amani created the UK Black Chefs Network as a platform to shine a spotlight on Black culinary talent across the UK.
Her goal wasn’t simply visibility for her own career but to build a community resource where Black chefs, food and drink businesses, and hospitality professionals could be seen, celebrated and connected — especially those whose work often goes unnoticed or under-represented in mainstream food media.
The network grew into a movement that highlights Diaspora food traditions, supports chefs with classical and diaspora-inspired culinary knowledge, and collaborates with industry partners to elevate Black chefs in the UK.

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Industry Work & Recognition

Since founding the network, Amani has:

Collaborated with organisations and brands on food features and community initiatives (including work tied to Black History Month). 
Judged culinary awards and helped identify Black culinary talent in competitive and professional settings. 
Worked with MasterChef UK  in talent scouting and supported initiatives that open up opportunities for chefs of colour. 
Been nominated for recognition in food and community awards that celebrate women and diversity in the industry. 

 

What Drove Her Mission

Amani’s journey into founding the UK Black Chefs Network was powered by:

First-hand experience of underrepresentation in hospitality.
A desire to create a dedicated, accessible platform where talent, culture and culinary heritage from Black chefs can be highlighted and shared. 
A belief that visibility and community connection are key to empowering chefs, food creatives, and small food businesses to grow in the UK industry. 

In short: Amani turned her own culinary journey — from photography to professional cooking — into a broader mission of community, representation and celebration for Black chefs across the UK through the UK Black Chefs Network. 

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