Kingston Kitchen delivers on dynamic flavour
Published:Thursday | July 10, 2025 | 12:10 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
On the first Saturday of July, food lovers flocked to Hope Botanical Gardens for one of the summer’s most anticipated events – Kingston Kitchen. With a vibrant mix of flavours, creativity, and culinary flair, vendors delivered an experience that satisfied every craving.
Sweet aromas filled the open air as the night market welcomed scores of families and friends, eager to enjoy crowd favourites and embark on new culinary adventures.
Among those wowing taste buds was Shawarma Shack, which made quite a smash with their signature smash burgers. The foodie fanfare continued with Tyschane’s Kitchen, which presented Hawaiian chicken with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and creamy curried shrimp Alfredo.
The yard-style feast at Jabba’s Seafood and Grill included the choice of seafood boil, the signature peppered shrimp, soup fi yuh soul and curried goat taco. Chef Shakeir Turner showcased his Nourished Kitchen menu, which featured sweet chilli wings, barbecued wings, fried beef tacos and bang bang coconut shrimp, just to name a few. Waah Gwaan Cafe satisfied palates with paninis.
Firing up the grill, The Sheriff from Sheriff Gourmet BBQ, David Bucknor, served up sizzling meats with a showman’s flair. Get In My Belly Catering presented a fabulous spread of pumpkin goat soup, sweet and sour pork, along with oven jerked chicken.
Adding cultural flair to the mix were Super Spicy Doubles and Mystic Thai, taking guests on a scrumptious journey to the Caribbean and India. BMB Catering offered a sample platter, inclusive of jollof jackfruit pasta, Korean pork belly skewer with a chicharrón crust and scallion and fried chicken with a summer lychee slaw.
The culinary oasis also highlighted delectable dishes from Lesley Cooks, Peckish, Chop’d Salady Tings and Market, Crispy Pork Belly Catering, Aunt Merl’s Place, The Rib Kage, The Burrito Shack, Presto Pasta and Fyah Side Jerk and Bar.
And for dessert lovers, they could treat themselves to sweet offerings from The Flour Girl JA, The Bake Rae, The Cheesecake Lab JA, Scoops Unlimited Ltd and Xotic Treats.
On the sipping side, Deaf Can! Coffee hit the spot with their variety of frappes. The Fruit Blend Smoothie Bar had vibrant flavoured drinks like daiquiris in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. The League of Bartenders were in a league of their own as the mixologists got busy shaking things up with cocktails and mocktails. And standing proudly at the centre of the venue was the Worthy Park Bar, eager to quench thirsts and lift spirits.
Sweet and tangy, the cocktails at LadyBee Mixology proved to be crowd-pleasers for those who desired an enhanced experience, while Bubble, Bottles, Brews, and Beverages had folks lined up to try their attractive and enticing offerings.
Celebrating its 14th year, the food festival introduced a new feature: the foodie pass. Guests with this golden armband skipped lines and enjoyed their favourite dishes without the wait.