Mamacalabar was founded in 1993 by a young couple. The couple found that there were not many places for Nigerians to eat and wanted to create an environment in which Africans could come to and feel more at home in this strange land that wasn’t quite home.

Thus, Mamacalabar was born. Helen Duke is a trained chef with over 40 years of culinary experience. She started cooking in her Aunts restaurant in Surelere Lagos in the 70’s as a teenager. Her husband, Roger, a Ugandan native, fell in love with Nigeran food. He gave his wife the idea of opening a small restaurant and the rest is history.

She enjoys experimenting with various dishes and adding a new twist without taking away from the authenticity of the recipe. Helen has attended many well known culinary schools and is constantly trying to find new ways to make Nigerian food more accessible to the world.

H Duke Bageire