Omari McQueen, an 11-year-old restauranteur is the youngest three-time award-winning vegan chef in the UK and is the CEO of his company, Dipalicious — a plant-based Caribbean restaurant.
Omari’s popup restaurant ran from Aug. 17 – 24 at Boxpark Croydon and while there were no details on what he served, it is clear that he is passionate about plant-based food. Omari’s journey to CEO and founder of Dipalicious started at 7-years-old when he learned to cook to help his mother in the kitchen after she became ill. Shortly after, Omari’s enthusiasm for cooking took off and he created a YouTube channel to feature his culinary skills.
The young restauranteur created his dip after creating a vegan pizza using Heinz Tomato sauce that was too dry. This experience sparked Omari’s decision to create a Caribbean sauce that fit the type of food he wanted to make. According to the Dipalicious website, Omari decided to become a chef and then learned more about veganism after watching a PETA UK video at 8-years-old that resulted in making food that everyone can eat.
Omari is the winner of the TruLittle Hero Award in 2018 by Cause4Children Ltd, the Proud & Gifted Award because of his vegan cooking and a Compassionate Kid Award from PETA for his work with animals last November. PETA Director Elisa Allen said “Omari’s innovative kitchen creations make it easier than ever for people to dipinto a vegan lifestyle,” she continued “His compassion and his determination to create a better world for animals are a wonderful example for other kids – and adults – to follow.”
The Dipalicious CEO and Founder is now hosting Kids’ cooking workshops from his home and since becoming a restauranteur, Omari has been featured on BBC and ITV News meeting many celebrities like Kevin Hart.
For more information about Omari McQueen, follow his Instagram and YouTube channel.