Following a summer of fierce culinary competition, Brixton Village is proud to announce Luke Moody and Layla Morris as winners of Brixton Kitchen 2025. After stunning the competition’s judges and locals alike with their innovative yet authentic take on the Indian-inspired cuisine of Durban, South Africa, the duo has been awarded a six month chef residency at Brixton Village’s Market Row where they will serve up their delicious fare to the South London community and visitors travelling to the eclectic market.
As a thriving epicentre of London’s world-class food scene, Brixton Village relaunched its restaurant incubator competition this year in a bid to continue supporting homegrown culinary talent. This year’s iteration sought to spotlight semi-pro chefs across South London and beyond, following the success of inaugural winner, Adejoké Bakare, who went on to become the first Black woman in the UK to earn a Michelin star with her acclaimed restaurant Chishuru. Six years on, Adejoké has returned to Brixton Kitchen as part of the judging panel.
The South African chefs were crowned winner after continuously impressing judges with their delectable dishes across Brixton Kitchen’s three rounds. Competing against 40 chefs in total, Luke and Layla were shortlisted to present their “Best Bite” before progressing to the semi-finals, at which they presented two small dishes and a beverage to the judging panel of established culinary stars as well as friends and family.
Held in the heart of Market Row, the final rounds saw Luke and Layla and competing finalist Philippe Sonou each run a fast-paced takeaway service for the public followed by a fully-fledged sit down dinner service at Bottle + Rye, serving 30 covers. The winning couple served a range of impressive dishes such as Cheese and Corn Samosas, Crab Curry, and Lamb Bunny Chow to the judging panel which featured leading South London restaurateur Robin Gill and award-winning chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine alongside Adejoké.
As winners of the competition, Luke and Layla will host Durban Curry House as a six-month residency in one of Brixton Village’s prime units on Market Row and receive mentorship from industry stalwarts covering salient topics for new restaurateurs. No stranger to kitchens, Luke and Layla have a strong history of cooking professionally, including senior roles at the sustainability-focussed Fallow, which fittingly had its beginnings at Brixton Kitchen in 2019.Their Durban Curry House concept joins over 40 bars and restaurants representing cuisines from across the globe, including Venezuelan, Nepalese, Jamaican, Mexican, Colombian, and Japanese. Previous Brixton Kitchen concepts that found homes in Brixton Village include Budgie Montoya’s Sarap serving modern Filipino-inspired fare, Ruben Dawney’s Ruben’s Reubens paying homage to his Polish-Jewish heritage, and Jack Croft and William Murray’s sustainability-focussed Fallow.
Speaking on the win, Luke & Layla said: “It’s a real privilege to be recognised by some of the industry’s most respected names and to have the opportunity to run our residency in such an iconic and vibrant market like Brixton Village. We can’t wait to open our doors and share not only our food, but story with the South London community and beyond. This opportunity is the next chapter of our career and we couldn’t be happier.”
Diana Nabagereka, General Manager of Brixton Village said: “We’re so excited to welcome Luke and Layla to Market Row and see their residency come to life. Their concept stood out not only for flavour and creativity, but also for passion and purpose which, at the end of the day, is the heartbeat of this competition. Giving emerging chefs the opportunity to grow is key for us, and Brixton Village already hosts an array of incredible culinary talent so there’s no doubt Durban Curry House will feel right at home here.”
Speaking on the winner, Adejoké Bakare said: “Brixton Kitchen is where my journey began, so it was a privilege to come back this year as a judge. The level of talent we saw was remarkable and I was so impressed by the way in which Luke and Layla used flavours and creative atmosphere-setting to express the rich heritage and story behind their dishes. I’m looking forward to seeing their residency go from strength to strength.”
