Tell All Thursday: New Stockist Alert - Caribbean Kitchen
If you've visited the upstairs of the Kitchener Market, you probably know of the Caribbean Kitchen tucked in the back corner. We are happy to announce that you can now get cubes of Four All Ice Cream from their freezer!
The Caribbean Kitchen is one of the original restaurants that has been a part of the market since it opened back in 2004. Now a well-recognized lunch staple for market-goers and students from downtown, new owner Nicky spoke with us about taking over the business while maintaining it's long-standing legacy in the community. Nicky is also a chef for MVP meals, one of Four All's neighbours working from the Courtyard Kitchens, and she watched us grow since we opened last spring.
Until 3 years ago, Nicky had been working in banking and enjoyed the customer service part of her job the most. Her career change into the food industry she says was in the "pursuit of happiness" as she hoped to combine helping people and pursuing her hobby of cooking good food. She wanted her work to reflect what she loves to do, her appreciation for the food community in KW and cuisine diversity that she discovered after moving to Canada from Jamaica 5 years ago. "Seeing all the different cuisines inspired me to dive in", she recalls.
Nicky had heard through the grape vine that Mrs. Bell, the previous owner of the Caribbean Kitchen, was looking to sell and retire but didn't want to see the business change into something completely different. Nicky bought the restaurant in November of last year and has honoured Mrs. Bell's legacy while she slowly transitions into full retirement. Nicky's favourite part of cooking is testing new recipes and adapting to the needs of different diets, so she hopes to add to the current (and much loved) menu at the Caribbean Kitchens soon. "When you're an entrepreneur, your brain doesn't know how to turn off!" - we're looking forward to seeing all of her new ideas come to life!
It was her personal love of Four All ice cream that sparked our new partnership. She says, "I would see the people lined up through the parking lot on a Sunday" and she understands that commitment for getting to enjoy a scoop of Four All. She believes that our businesses pair well because ice cream is a tropical treat to beat the heat and our timing with the March tropical-themed flavours couldn't have been more perfect. Nicky says her dream ice cream flavour would be jackfruit; "I've never seen that flavour before as a dessert... I love the smell, it reminds me of eating it back home".
Follow the Caribbean Kitchen on Facebook to see what they are up to!
