Gone are the days of small establishments with 2 tables and no sign, (although thankfully they still exist!). Restaurants including 'Mr Jerk' in Queensway and the West End, and 'Cottons' in North London, are offering the total restaurant experience. Caribbean food is now opening up to wider audiences, with traditional favourites such as, jerk chicken, curry goat, rice and peas, and fried plantain on the menu.

Typically, the Caribbean restaurants have struggled to compete in the food industry despite takeaways and restaurants being one of the top ten business types owned by Caribbean people. Caribbean takeaways and restaurants are not generally enjoyed by those outside the Caribbean community, unlike Chinese, Indian and Thai, amongst others. The typical complaints made are usually regarding service rather than quality of food.

The many spices used in Caribbean cooking include bay leaves, chillies, cinnamon bark, garlic, ginger, lemon, mace, nutmeg, onion, oregano, pimento, scotch bonnet peppers, sugar, thyme, coconut, lime, tamarind, and vanilla. The surge in Caribbean restaurants promoting these flavours to a wider audience in turn boosts Caribbean products in the overall growth within the ethnic food market.

Most Caribbean dishes are cooked with distinct seasoning, and condiments such as hot pepper sauces and seasonings are becoming more and more widely available in supermarkets for home use.

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So head out to your nearest Caribbean restaurant or takeaway, and try it out for yourself.

Click here for Caribbean restaurants and takeaways in North London
Click here for Caribbean restaurants and takeaways in South London
Click here for Caribbean restaurants and takeaways in East London
Click here for Caribbean restaurants and takeaways in West London

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