Taste Di Island opened in the city centre last week
Meet the woman who has just opened Belfast’s first authentic Jamaican restaurant in the heart of the city centre. Tashheika Thompson moved to Northern Ireland three years ago, and brought her business Taste Di Island with her.
Originally setting the business up from her house in Bedfordshire, England back in 2017, the 40-year-old continued it when she moved to Birmingham, then began operating from her new home in Northern Ireland.
In 2024, Tashheika opened a takeaway unit at Blackstaff Mill, and last week opened a restaurant in Great Northern Mall in Belfast city centre. She is hoping the restaurant will make a difference in helping people experience authentic Jamaican cuisine and broaden their horizons.
READ MORE: Co Derry woman, 90, on how it’s never too late to chase your dreams as she graduates universityREAD MORE: Migrant family ‘targeted and harassed for years’ by group in Short Strand area
Speaking to Belfast Live, Tashheika said: “At first I was a bit scared as I was introducing something new to the community in Northern Ireland, a new type of food that isn’t here. I wasn’t expecting the reaction of the community. The first day I started here, I was worried and wished people would gravitate towards it, but it has done very well and I’m happy to keep it going.
“I used to do it on a Friday and Saturday, then I expanded it. I started doing it at my house in Newtownards, then I went viral, and I was moving house at the same time. So I was bombarded with calls every day, from people asking could they order food. It was then I decided I needed to find a space.”
Since opening in the city centre last week, Tashheika said every day has been busy. Plenty of people have been popping in to try dishes such as jerk chicken, curry mutton, and oxtail – and have been bringing their questions along with them.
“The tenants here have been really welcoming. I already have my customer base, but being in a more central space and getting new customers has been really good, we’ve been busy every day since we opened,” she said.
“It’s been really great educating people about Jamaican food. There are a lot of people who maybe don’t know the difference between mutton and lamb, so sometimes I have to break it down and explain it to them. A lot of people would be asking how to cook goat and what it tastes like.
“I also explain to customers the difference between chilli and scotch bonnet, because in Jamaican cooking we use scotch bonnet, which is a bit more spicy, but it’s got great flavour. You’re not just going to get heat when you eat it, especially with the jerk chicken, you’re also going to taste the flavour from the scotch bonnet too.
“I remember when someone came in for food and got the rice and peas, they said they ordered peas, but got beans. I explained to them that in our culture we call beans, peas. I’ve been explaining to customers and I’ve also trained the staff so if a customer asks anything about allergies or what’s in the food, they can show them.
“We want to let people try different flavours, we allow them to have a taste of the flavours, and are happy to give people a sample of food if they’ve never tried it before and want to give it a go before buying.”
Tash said in the future she would love to start Jamaican cooking classes here to teach people further. She tries to make her food as authentic as possible by taking measures such as ordering herbs from Jamaica and other ingredients from England when local suppliers haven’t been able to find them.
Over the past year, a number of minority owned businesses in Northern Ireland have been attacked, including some not too far away from her unit. Tash said she has had some unwelcome comments on social media posts, but she doesn’t let it get to her.
She said: “When it comes to negativity, I don’t soak it up. If someone came up to me and said anything about my culture, colour, or who I am or where I’m from, I don’t soak it up.
“I’m in a group called Women of Colour Belfast so we have events where we bring different people from different backgrounds in so we can teach people in the community about different cultures.”
Looking at how food diversity in Belfast has grown in the time she has been here, Tash said it’s “a really exciting time” for the city’s food scene.
“There are so many different cuisines to try now,” she said. “We need that diversity of food within Belfast. If you think of somewhere like London, you can get any food you want, but it’s limited in Northern Ireland.
“But it’s good to see other cultures are stepping out. We’re happy to have a new space where we can invite people in to try different food, and to be the only Jamaican restaurant here for now. I’m happy to be that person to embrace and show my culture, to have a space where you can come to a traditional Jamaican restaurant and get authentic food.”
Tash said she would encourage anyone thinking of opening their own business to jump at the chance. She said: “I get a lot of people asking me how to start a business – and I tell them it’s easy. It might seem hard looking from the outside, but it’s not as hard as you think it is.
“I always tell people to reach out to me if they have questions, I’m not going to be a gatekeeper. I’m going to open that door for you, and help you take that step and become your own boss. Nothing feels nicer for me than closing that door at the end of the night, and knowing this place is mine.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
#Meet #Jamaican #woman #opened #Belfast #restaurant #food #viral
