The owner of a Nottingham city centre Jamaican takeaway vowed he would bounce back after being booted out of his kiosk - and true to his word he's returned bigger and better, with a vibrant new restaurant. Clinton Walker was forced to surrender the lease of the colourful outlet dHoris, in Wheeler Gate, due to the street's redevelopment to create new retail units on the ground floor of a property and student accommodation on the upper floors.
His solicitor managed to negotiate a financial settlement from the developers for surrendering the lease just before the company went into administration. Mr Walker reluctantly shut the business of three years in August 2021, describing it as "heart-wrenching".
He began a search for an alternative site, knowing that he'd be hard pressed to find anything similar to the unique kiosk in the city centre. He eventually settled on property in Pelham Street, which had been empty since the end of 2018 when the Ugly Bread Bakery relocated to Carlton Street in Hockley.
Read more: Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival prices as event to operate with tokens instead of cash
HIs restaurant Spice Cay has a lively Caribbean vibe and boasts a wider menu compared to dHoris, which was limited due to the space. Serving Caribbean tapas, the menu is broken down into five sections. 'Di Main Event' features staples such as jerk wings, ackee and saltfish, curried goat and Nana's braised oxtail. 'Ital Tingz' comes with Rastaman ital stew, pretty callaloo and jerk BBQ cauliflower.
'From Di Sea' delivers a fish feast of propa pepper prawns, brown stew fish, salmon bites and escovitch fish. Side dishes, 'Di Xtraz', include rice and peas, fried dumplings, plantain and bammy, a Jamaican cassava flatbread.
Most Caribbean menus focus on Jamaican cuisine but completing the line-up are specialities from other islands on rotation. There's macaroni pie from Barbados, saltfish with green fig from St Lucia, Cuban ropa vieja peppered steak and Trinidadian doubles (flatbread) and vegan chick pea curry - all with a soundtrack of soca and Caribbean tunes plus a DJ on Saturdays.
Diners can go the whole hog with a Caribbean cocktail. The range includes West Indies Martini, fruity Antiguan Smile or an exotic Jamaica Me Crazy. Alternatively there's Red Stripe on draft, bottled beers, ciders and wine.
Clinton said: "The menu is influenced by traditions from my grandparents and my parents and what I used to do when I was experimenting. The curried goat is to die for, a lot of people go for that. The BBQ wings and prawn and mango curry and propa pepper prawns are very popular but the curried goat is leading the way, head and shoulders above those.
"There's a small selection of vegan options at the moment but when we update the menu we will have a lot more. We have just started and don't want too much stuff."
Clinton, who considered other empty properties including a couple in Carlton Street, said: "Regardless of the others, this was always my first and last option. The footfall, location and size, knowing what could do with it compared to the others. I have been negotiating for this building for over nine months but in my head this was always the one. I am happy to have this location. There's been blood, sweat and tears and everything else."
Inside can seat 60 - some of them on a mezzanine level - and a further 20 or so outside. Graffiti artist Boaster has created the colourful artwork, which includes a mural of Bob Marley and feelgood phrases good vibes and one love, while recycled wooden palettes have been turned into tables by Clinton himself.
"Wheeler Gate had the footfall but we couldn't have any seating. The throughput was nothing to compare. This is much better, bigger. The challenge as always is with staff. At the kiosk we had two or three people on different shifts but here there's a lot more staff and a lot more overheads. Everything is like ten times more.
"There is nothing like this in the city centre that does it the way we do it in terms of the authenticity, the whole vibe and the atmosphere. I am very happy."
Theme nights with open mic, poetry and comedy influenced by the Afro Caribbean community are planned and a steel band is on the cards. "I'm just pacing myself. A lot of people are giving feedback and ideas but you have to take your time. There's lots in the pipeline and we are starting to promote Christmas. We have already had some bookings for Christmas," he added.
Spice Cay opens every day, from lunchtime, and does a special £5 takeaway deal of rice and peas accompanied by curried goat, or jerk chicken and dumpling. The restaurant was packed on Saturday but suffered a burst water pipe, which is in the process of being fixed, so Spice Cay should be back open again on Wednesday, October 11.
READ NEXT:
