I just caught wind of a new Jamaican café opening just off the A10 near Waterbeach. We don’t have a huge amount of Caribbean spots in the area, so I was keen to head down and show them some support.
Run by the team behind the Kerief Catering food van – a Jamaican husband and South African wife duo – I was expecting big things and some seriously exciting dishes. Trying to keep up with food vans can be a challenge, especially if they never visit your area, so having a venue that is always in one location made things much easier to catch.
Located in the Glenmore Business Park, the café is tucked away in a warehouse and opens from 9am to 2pm Monday-Friday and 10am-2pm Saturday’s. There is a generous amount of parking with no restrictions, making it easy to simply rock up and roll. As it isn’t open during the evening, this makes it exclusively a breakfast and lunch haunt but I did notice a South African Supper Club event on the 28th of March that will be set in the evening (more info here) – so keep your eyes peeled.
There is an ample amount of seating inside with a shop corner stocked with authentic bits you just won’t find in a standard British supermarket – and priced looked good! I couldn’t resist grabbing some authentic-looking jerk sauce and jerk mayo to take home; life’s too short for the bland stuff on the high street.
A massive bonus for families: if you order two main breakfasts, you get a child’s meal for free. Proper result.
The Jerk & Braai Breakfast
I went for the signature Jerk & Braai breakfast. It’s like a classic English fry-up but with a bit of South African and Caribbean flair. It features Vetkoek (a traditional deep-fried flatbread) and Boerewors, which is a beautifully spiced, coarse-ground sausage.
The plate was a fair size for £11, loaded with three thick slices of bacon, two fried eggs, the Boerewors, and fried plantain. The Boerewors was easily my favourite part – the peppery, spiced meat really jazzed up the whole plate. I found the Vetkoek a bit of a challenge with a knife and fork since it’s quite a dense bread, so I ended up loading it up like a baguette which worked brilliantly. The plantain was a refreshing addition too; it’s got a starchy, slightly sweet flavour that really rounded off the savoury elements.
My wife stuck to the standard cooked breakfast, which still comes with that Vetkoek flatbread but swaps the Boerewors for regular pork sausages and the plantain for baked beans. Having this option is great for the Waterbeach Town area that currently doesn’t have a fry-up option close by but also means you can still bring a friend who may not be as much of a foodie as you.
The “Off-Menu” Find
Keep your eyes peeled at the counter because I nearly missed the loaded fries! They weren’t on the main physical menu but they are an absolute must. They come with either jerked chicken or beef brisket chakalaka loaded on top and are slathered in a lightly spiced mayo and crispy onions.
These were a proper portion. If you’re a die-hard cheese lover then you might be disappointed as there wasn’t any included, but honestly, with the thin crispy chips, crunchy onions, and juicy, tender chunks of spicy jerk chicken, it manages to offer a more crunchy texture with the sauces adding vibrant flavour and some much needed gooeyness.
For the Kids
My son had the breakfast waffle with Greek yoghurt, fruit compote, and maple syrup. They make these fresh to order, so expect about a 15-minute wait, but the quality speaks for itself. It is a simple yet effective dish that doesn’t focus on extravagance but allows the quality of the batter and the freshness to do the heavy lifting but it works. Either way, he absolutely devoured it and was even asking to go back for another one the next day – high praise from a three-year-old!
The service was incredibly warm. The team took the time to have a proper chat and were brilliant with my son, making us feel right at home. If you’re fed up with the same old bland supermarket sauces, definitely grab a bottle of their jerk sauce on the way out. I’ve been slamming it on my chicken wraps every day since my visit and it really hits the spot!
Jerk up your breakfast!
If you’re after a breakfast that actually has a bit of life to it, this place is a proper gem. It’s not often you find somewhere this laid-back serving up food that’s actually authentic and high quality. The mix of South African Vetkoek and Jamaican jerk chicken is an exciting fusion and exactly what we’ve been missing around Cambridgeshire.
Whether you’ve tried the Kerief Catering van before or you’re just bored of the same old greasy spoon, it’s well worth the quick detour off the A10. Great value, lovely people, and a massive win for families with that free kids’ breakfast deal. I’ll definitely be heading back – if only to top up my stash of that proper jerk sauce. Bootiful!
Thanks for reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.