Jay Dee’s Catering
“Chicken doesn’t really get any better than this does it mate.”- Alastair Reid Schanche
North Kensington and Notting Hill, famously associated with their British African Caribbean population, euphoric celebrations, and racially problematic past, are without surprise, home to a lot of special places to eat.
On Lancaster Road, lives and breaths Jay Dee’s Catering, a takeaway and delivery company that serves only the finest and most affordable traditional Caribbean grub you can buy. Run exclusively by a Jamaican family, this humble and rustic food spot has been serving the local community since 2009.
A 5-minute walk away from some of the most expensive properties in London, this far from fancy establishment is surrounded by fashionable restaurants in an area where eating out is always getting more pricy. Jay Dee’s Catering stands out. It’s a different species of restaurant. One that rawly displays a culture with no pampered edges through food and a proud community.
Here, the cooks serve classic Jamaican dishes, from Jerk Chicken, SaltFish Fritters, and Brown Fish Stew to Jamaican Patties, as well as some classic British cakes to satisfy more touristy cravings. No dish from Jay Dee’s Catering is complete without the inclusion of Jamaica’s core herbs and spices. Onion, thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, ginger and garlic all make up the very foundation of each traditional recipe. Giving the food that fragrant and distinctly colourful component that is so alluring and notorious in Jamaican cuisine.
You order your food at the counter to go and wait outside watching mouth-watering Jerk chicken cooking on the barbeque. If you can’t quite find this spot on Google Maps, just use your nose.
The menu is plentiful but revolves mainly around carnivorous dishes. Regardless, the vegetables are treated with equal dignity. We ordered two Jamaican patties, one chicken, and one saltfish. As well as a box each of Jerk chicken and rice, oxtail and butterbeans and brown fish stew. In total, it was £40, about £13 for each of us. Bear in mind, the dishes we ate were all regular size, not large, and three strapping lads like us couldn’t finish all the food. Talk about value for money.
Some may be put off that you can’t dine inside, but trust me, you wouldn't want to. The heat from the kitchen is something else. As an alternative, take your boxes stuffed to the brim down the road and make a right. Either sit down on the grass or a log in Tavistock Gardens and tuck in.
The patties, a great pastry starter, filled with a hot and salty filling, are like little pies singing to your tastebuds. The Jerk chicken. Fuck. There are so many wonderful things to say about this dish. Smoky and crispy chicken skin perfectly executed by the charcoal grill, hides the tender breast underneath. One bite and you know it’s the shit. There’s something about watching it being barbequed that makes it taste even better. I would be lying if I said I knew what fish goes into the brown stew. But it hits that sweet spot right between under and overcooked, with the odd bone here and there to detangle between your teeth. The ox-tail is delicate, flaking off and dissolving in your mouth. Alongside the beans, it’s rich. Maybe too intense for some. The Jamaican equivalent to a beef bourguignon.
The dishes are not overly spicy. The Caribbean herbs and spices are balanced beautifully, leaving you with a warm and flavourful undertone across your palate. It’s the type of food that doesn’t make you feel unhealthy or regretful after indulging. With fresh and nutritional ingredients prepared and cooked with care, you almost feel revitalised, ready to tackle the day rather than slipping into a food coma.
Jay Dee’s Catering is the ideal spot to grab some great Caribbean food on the go. At some point over the Summer, spend the day in the area with a bunch of friends, stroll through Portobello market, and end up here. Alternatively, if you are fortunate enough to live in the area and are throwing a party, Jay Dee’s will gladly cater and deliver some food that is guaranteed to satisfy drunken appetites.
28 Lancaster Rd, London W11 1QP