By: Jason Freeze
Photo by: Jason Freeze
As we start to escape the clutches of Winter and head right into Spring, many people have recently come back from their Winter excursions. Having enjoyed some tropical destinations, there might still be a longing for the taste of the islands, but where would you go to satisfy that craving? Well the answer is JamRock Jerk Kitchen!
Photo by: Jason Freeze
Nestled in the heart of Downtown Brantford, JamRock offers an authentic taste of Jamaica and the Caribbean. JamRock first opened their doors in late Winter of 2018 at 118 Dalhousie Street by owner Lamard Wright. He wanted to bring that special Jamaican flavour to our community. He commented, “It’s the taste of the town. Everyone loves jerk chicken, but not everyone does it well. We’re different than some others… it’s traditional but tweaked to my own taste. If you taste it, it is authentic and done from scratch every day… made with love.”
Lemard’s inspiration for creating JamRock was to bring that authenticity and unique flavouring to Brantford. There wasn’t really anyone in the area doing this type of food and he had been looking for a place like that himself. So he decided to create his own shop where he could “stand out for this type of food.”
Photo by: Jason Freeze
Everything that he serves comes from his own recipes too. Lamard has always enjoyed cooking throughout his life, but he really started cooking at the age of 15. It all started out with his Grandma; she taught him how to cook with that ‘made with love’ concept. His Grandma was the catalyst for helping Lemard to learn how to make food taste good. And since then he’s developed his skill over the years.
With his Grandma in mind, Lemard makes sure that all of his food has a wonderful taste. “I want to provide people with something interesting to eat. Once you taste you’ll go – yum yum!” Lemard still brings that family bond with him into the kitchen. JamRock is a family business and many of his family members help out at the store. “It’s fun working together,” he said.
Photo by: Jason Freeze
With all this family help, JamRock is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Of course their biggest menu item is the Jerk Chicken, but they also offer an array of other delicious Caribbean foods. Lemard’s himself enjoys the Curry Goat, plus there’s the Oxtail, Fried Chicken, and Cow Foot. They also serve up some delicious Roti’s, soups and even breakfast items like Callaloo and Ackee & Saltfish. Lemard is also looking to ‘spice things up’ on his menu by adding in some summer items like Jerk Chicken Salad. Even if you’re not into spicy foods, there’s still lots to choose from.
Photo by: Jason Freeze
Having been in business for just over a year now, Lemard is thankful to all his customers for coming in to try his food. And if you haven’t stopped by yet, he wants you to come in and enjoy the friendly atmosphere and great food. Lemard also wanted to thank the Brantford-Brant Business Resource Centre for helping him to start his business. He said, “There’s a community feeling here (in the downtown), everyone pulls together to help each other out.”
If you’re looking for an authentic ‘taste of the islands’ then come on down to JamRock Jerk Kitchen at 118 Dalhousie Street. They’re open from 10am until 9pm Monday to Friday and from 10am until 8pm on Saturday. The food is always good and seasoned with love. As Lemard says, “Just enjoy it!”
