Wonderman: Tinie Tempah
(Picture: Lateef Photography)Rapper, TV presenter and fashion influencer par excellence — and now fried chicken magnate? Tinie Tempah is set to join the food world as he launches his own food brand, Raps, starting things by spending four months looking after the food at Willows on The Roof, the open air space on top of the flagship John Lewis on Oxford Street.
As its punning name suggests, Tempah will largely focus on chicken wraps, with variations mostly named for rappers or their work. These will include the Unruly, made up of fried, jerk-marinated chicken with plantain, jerk barbecue sauce and lime mayo slaw; the Buffalo Soulja, with buttermilk fried chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese, pickles, lettuce and tomato; and the vegan JME wrap. Burna Boy’s album African Giant also gets a shout-out, with its buttermilk fried chicken base wrapped up with a jollof salsa and plantain. It is reportedly Tempah’s favourite.
With the press bluff saying the undertaking is “a nostalgic nod to Tinie’s early childhood spent frequenting the chicken shops of South East London”, there will also be chicken tenders (“Unknown T’s buttermilk brined tenders”) and wings (”Peng wings”) on sale.
The menu was developed with the help of Youtube and Instagram hit Big Has, who’s previously cooked at restaurants including Palatino and Sardine, having graduated from Jamie Oliver’s 15 programme.
Plumstead-born Tempah’s takeover of the Willows’ menu will begin on March 11, with Hackney bar Night Tales handling the cocktails. On the same day, the entire Raps range will be available for order on Deliveroo and from the project’s website. So far, delivery will be available in Shoreditch, Hackney, Dalston, Brixton, Camberwell, Queen’s Park and Wilsden, with the food prepared in dark kitchens from Kitchen Ventures (who will also work with Tempah to look after the food side of things at Willows’).
“RAPS just felt right,” said Tempah of the venture. “Food is an exploration of culture through its ingredients and flavours and London, the city I’m from, is rich with diversity and culture; it was really exciting to work on something where I was able to combine the food I love and grew up on (both in the home and on the high street) and the music that inspired me to be who I am today.”
