Sheffield restaurant owner shares secrets of his success as lockdown continues

Reggae Kitchen Sheffield has been serving up authentic Jamaican food to people in Sheffield for around five years, when the restaurant opened at 200 City Road.

Owner Calvin Wisdom says his restaurant is popular with its customers and is still managing to do a good trade in spite of lockdown.

The restaurant currently offers a collection-only takeaway service seven days a week, and has strict measures in place such as a protective screen and marked social distancing parameters in order to try and make Reggae Kitchen as Covid-secure as possible.

Calvin says that one of the secrets to the success of Reggae Kitchen is its loyal customer base.

He said: “We’ve had loyal customers from the first day we opened nearly five years ago. The same customers got their family and friends and their friends and their friends and their friends to try our food.

"A lot of our customers seem to know each other, and will recognise someone from school or wherever when they come in to pick up their food.”

"We also get a lot of new customers from Google,” added Calvin.

The other integral element that Calvin helps his business to continue to do well is having a small menu of a few popular dishes that always sell well.

“A lot of places have 100 or 150 things on their menu and will never sell half of them. We only sell a few dishes that are popular. And all of our meat is boneless which people like,” said Calvin.

These dishes include curried mutton, which is served with rice and peas; jerk chicken, which is served with fried dumplings; curried chicken and brown stew chicken as well as a selection of patties including vegetable, beef, lamb and chicken.

Reggae Kitchen also offers special dishes on one day of the week only with fish Fridays, soup Saturdays when they sell a traditional Jamaican soup that contains chicken; yams; sweet potatoes and dumplings.

For more information on Reggae Kitchen please visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/reggaekitchensheffield

READ MORE:

- Oasis released Don’t Look Back in Anger 25 years ago today - listen to the first time they ever played it at Sheffield Arena

- Sheffield cafe supporting city’s most vulnerable receives thousands from funding grant

- How you can pair meat, gravy and a dash of Henderson's Relish with these perfectly crafted pancakes

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.