Celebrating London’s culinary diversity at City Splash Festival
Come for the music but stay for the food, says Amira Arasteh, upon trying all the food Black Eats LDN had to offer at London’s City Splash Festival.
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It’s no secret that London’s food scene is renowned for its vibrant diversity – and the City Splash Festival, held across the late May Bank Holiday weekend, was a testament to the city’s culinary kaleidoscope.
The festival, which took place in Brockwell Park, south London – and has been going on since 2021 – was a celebration of food, music and culture – with a distinct spotlight on black-owned food businesses, courtesy of the dynamic initiative Black Eats LDN.
According to Ben Ryan, co-founder of City Splash, “the festival was born out of my dreams to see some of the cultural events that I grew up going to, like Caribbean all day-ers which we used to have in Hackney Downs and South London, where the Caribbean community would come together to celebrate music and food.
“They kind of disappeared, so City Splash is to try and bring that energy and vibe back for our community.”
He went on to say that the festival then grew into a “first-class platform for Caribbean music, predominantly, which very quickly grew into wider Black music genres such as Afrobeats.”
Black Eats LDN is not only a pioneering organisation – dedicated to promoting black-owned restaurants, street food vendors, and caterers – but it is also home to the UK’s first and only black-owned restaurant directory.
It’s no wonder that these guys were the primary catering partner for this year’s City Splash Festival. Founded to address the underrepresentation of black-owned businesses in the UK’s food industry, Black Eats LDN curates and showcases an array of culinary talents.
With approximately 80 traders, with a lot of them coming from Black-Owned Hackney, Mr Ryan’s market, he says food goes hand-in-hand with cultural events for the community and is “an equally important part of the day”.
At the heart of Black Eats LDN’s ethos is the mission to provide a platform for chefs and food artisans to share their rich and varied culinary heritage. This initiative not only amplifies the voices of black food entrepreneurs but also enriches the culinary landscape of London with flavours and techniques from across the African diaspora.
A festival feast: the dishes that stole the show
The City Splash Festival offered a wide range of dishes to sample – in fact, it was a hard feat for this food journo to admit that, as much as she wanted to, she could not sample everything on offer. She’s made peace with it now. Sort of.
Anyways, the food reflected the diversity and creativity of Black Eats LDN’s vendors. We came, we saw, we conquered – we actually didn’t slip in the mud because we were weighed down by the sheer amount of food we did manage to eat.
Rhythm Kitchen
A well-known name in London’s Caribbean food scene, Rhythm Kitchen was one of the first stops. Serving up authentic dishes such as jerk chicken, curried goat and jerk wings. These mouhwatering offerings are amplified by the usual suspects: rice and peas, fried plantain and coleslaw, and it’s well worth the queue.
The jerk chicken had to be the star of the show; marinated in a blend of traditional spices and slow-cooked to achieve that balance of smoky and spicy – while the meat itself remaining tender and juicy. Available on and off the bone, whichever you opted for, the jerk seasoning was present throughout.
Bokit’la
A bokit is a Guadeoupean sandwich, comprising of deep-fried dough filled with your choice of fish, chicken, pork or vegetables. Packed to the brim with both fillings and flavour, these tasty pockets give a whole new meaning to a “sandwich lunch”.
Bokit’la was a standout vendor at City Splash, bringing a taste of the Caribbean to Brockwell Park. Trying both the classic chicken and traditional saltfish, the bread was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft within, creating a perfect contrast in textures – which was then enhanced by the steaming, spicy filling. Each bokit came with a healthy dollop of Creole sauce, adding a tanginess that elevated the taste of the chicken and saltfish – and those accras (fish fritters) cannot be missed. Golden brown and crispy, they’ll have you craving more.
The Suya Factory
Suya Factory offered an authentic taste of West African cuisine. Known for its grilled skewers (suya), these traditional smoked spiced meat skewers originating from Nigeria offer an explosion of bold flavours that will have you reaching for more. The beef was tender and juicy, with that perfect char that enhanced the depth of the seasoning – delivering a smoky and spicy flavour, while the chicken was equally impressive: chunks of succulent meat, marinated to perfection and with a great kick. Of course, these were acommpanied by rich, smoky jollof rice, slaw and sweet plantain.
Dub Pan
If you loved Rudie’s Jerk Shack, you’re going to love Dub Pan. They’re the same people, you see. Cue a bit of a rebrand and we’re now graced with this ‘jammin’ jerk’ spot that also set up shop at City Splash Festival. Although technically not part of Black Eats LDN, the company has worked with the initiative over the years and champions what they do daily.
Dub Pan is new name on the street, but has been making a notable impact on the food scene for years. Known for its contemporary twist on traditional Caribbean cuisine, Dub Pan champions itself for showcasing the spicy-sweet taste of tender charcoal-grilled jerk cooking but we were also obsessed with the family heritage recipe of the curried goat. Passed down through generations, this dish encompassed the rich, hearty flavours of Caribbean cuisine. The goat was cooked to perfection, with the meat falling off the bone and infused with a fragrant, mildly spicy curry sauce that was deeply satisfying.
Speaking with Michele Miah, founder of Dub Pan, she said: “We decided to rebrand as Dub Pan – ‘Dub’ as in music and ‘Pan’ as in jerk – we sell great food but we’re also bringing the Caribbean vibe.”
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