'We're here to stay': RumKeg876 and Daley Bread partnership proves a hit in Sheffield
Junior Lewis, owner of Rumkeg 816 discusses his success and how he believes Jamaican food could now be England’s national dish
Before he built one of Sheffield's best-known Caribbean bars, Junior Lewis was spending school holidays in another Sheffield - a town in Westmoreland, Jamaica where his father's family lived.
Years later, that family connection brought him to South Yorkshire, where he has transformed RumKeg876 from a lockdown cocktail delivery business into a thriving Abbeydale Road venue.
Now, alongside a growing partnership with Daley Bread, Junior says his ambition is to make RumKeg a Sheffield institution.
"My dad is from Sheffield in Jamaica," he said.
"I used to visit on school holidays, my dad's side, so when I came to Sheffield it was like, 'Oh, here’s a Sheffield in England'.
“I just love Sheffield because you can have the outdoor life and the city.
"I love going for a walk in the Peak District - and there are so many parks and woodlands too. I just go for a walk on my own sometimes.
“Some people might think I'm mad, but it's just my thing to do - go for a walk and brainstorm ideas and stuff like that, making plans for family and future. I'm a big family person."
That love for the city sits at the heart of Junior's plans for the business.
"I took Sheffield on as my second home, and I want to become a staple in Sheffield so we can attract more people from outside, to gain more local tourism.
"When I first moved, people were coming from all over England to visit Sheffield, they’d heard about Niche and Gatecrasher.
“So I want to be a name for people of Sheffield, but also for more people to come and enjoy what Sheffield has to offer."
The latest step towards that goal has been RumKeg's collaboration with Caribbean food business Daley Bread.
"So far it’s been going really well, the reaction has been really incredible," Junior said.
“We’d been waiting for something that would compete with bigger guys in the space, and now we’ve got a wider food menu and great bar service.”
The partnership has also allowed him to spend more time doing what he enjoys most.
"I love cooking, but I love the bar more," he said.
"I love talking about rum. I wanted to free up the time in the kitchen, spending time with customers on the front, talking about rum, educating customers.
“When I saw Daley Bread, everyone told me, 'You need to taste the food', and I went."
Junior also paid tribute to Bev, who played an important role in bringing the collaboration together.
"First time I went and tasted the food was before Bev, one of the chef's wives, passed away," he said.
"Special mention to her. She played a big part in the collaboration, and it's a way they let her name live on. They will always shout about her."
Daley Bread owner Benji Hamilton said the partnership started with a shared ambition to grow.
"We started small, and wanted to upscale," he said.
"Food-wise we offer curry mutton, jerk chicken, one of the best jerk chickens about - I have to say it,” he joked.
“Light bites, burgers, jerk chicken burgers, patties. The favourite is curry mutton."
"We definitely want to stay together, grow and expand, see where we can take it," Benji said.
Junior believes attitudes towards Caribbean food have changed significantly since he arrived in England.
"When I first came to England, everyone was talking about Indian food, it was the national dish," he said.
"I can now say Jamaican food is now the national dish."
One of the venue's most popular attractions remains its rum tasting sessions.
"The rum tasting is my favourite event to do," Junior said.
"We do them every day - it’s a really fun way to learn about rum if you're new to rum, or want to learn about it.”
He added: "We also have ‘rumeoke’ - I'm not a singer, but I love singing. We don't want Celine Dion or Mariah Carey.
“But we want people to have some good food from Daley Bread, some rums, sing along, get home safely and enjoy yourself."
And for anyone visiting for the first time, there is one recommendation he always gives.
"The Bob Marley shot is very popular in Sheffield," he said.
"An experience you must have."
With his business continuing to blossom, Junior's message about the future remains simple.
"We're here, we're here to stay," he said.