I was out with my dad having a couple of beers in St Ives where we stumbled across the Ivy Leaf Club for some live music. Whilst there, I noticed a Jamaican kitchen operating next to the bar called ‘Jerk Up’.

Jerk Up was previously located in a food van just off Somersham Road but has since moved and boy am I glad they did, otherwise I would have never discovered this little gem!

A small curried goat will set you back £7 and a large is £9. Now, when I say large, I really mean it. As you can see from the photograph above, this portion barely fit in my container. It was huge! Now, I know this isn’t going to win any awards for presentation but it tasted delicious and had a really good spicy kick to it! There was potato, carrot, and rice included.

My dad saw my curried goat which inevitably led to him ordering the curried chicken. This was served on the bone and was met with great satisfaction. This was slightly cheaper at £6 for a small and £8 for a large. The chicken had a lovely crispy skin and was succulent.

One thing that bothers me about some Jamaican restaurants is the shards of bone in the curry. Now, I know this is the Jamaican style and is done for flavour but I have found that some Jamaican curries in the past have been 30-40% bone. Here at Jerk Up, they had done a fantastic job at keeping the bones to a minimum which made my experience significantly more enjoyable. It was probably just as well as I was on my tenth beer of the evening! 🤣

There is also a good value children’s menu consisting of pizza and chips for £5. Also, ‘lunch time specials’ ranging from £5-6 for jacket potatoes, burgers, and chips.

I really feel like I have found a hidden gem with Jerk Up. You’d never expect to find quality Jamaican food in a place like the Ivy Leaf, especially considering how few Jamaican places there are in Cambridgeshire.

I’ll be back!

For more information on Jerk Up, click here.