PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA'S No.1 for ARTS, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Get Behind Natty’s Jerk Shack!

Natty’s Jerk Chicken is one of my absolute favourites, they are a family run Caribbean ‘food experience’ business that launched in Portsmouth back in 2019.
 
Nat ‘Natty’ Crutchfield, told me that the reason they call it a food experience is, “We really believe it’s our duty to spread the tastes, culture and our love of the Caribbean with everyone by creating an extensive sensory approach in the delivery and presentation of our food, to conjure an atmosphere filled with rich exciting flavours, combined with music and conversation to transport you to the destinations of warm tropical climates, something which we know we can deliver.”
 
The initial mobile ‘starter home’, was a 3×3 meter gazebo used during street food events. After establishing a loyal fan base of returning customers they also found a home within The Outside-In.
 
Due to the nightmare situation that was the COVID pandemic their home became their actual family home, where they operated as a takeaway service. Being unable to eat out I tried to fill this hole in my life via online delivery services but many of my favourite meals just didn’t travel well, something that I cannot say about Natty’s food.
On this decision, Nat describes, “To be really honest, the transition into these circumstances were primarily governed by surviving the sudden financial turbulence we faced in order to continue paying bills more than the desire to solely operate as a takeaway and delivery service.
 
“The continued support received from customers during this period was astounding. It enabled us to maintain the few employees we had recruited over the period to support the course the business had now taken. The positive communication received from customers who continued to order made us feel our intent and purpose was a little more than just providing a takeaway food service.
 
“With the ongoing demand, we had now outgrown our residence at home and began searching for a more suitable purpose-built commercial kitchen to keep working from. After months of potential viewings and dwindling hopes, the ideal offer of a kitchen arose in a location in one of Southsea’s main food and drink highways on Albert Road.
 
“Having jumped at the opportunity, the intention was to rebuild our street food foundation and to grow this alongside the existing host business as opposed to being an adjunct presence. Facing certain limitations at this location, unfortunately, the decision was made to leave the premises prematurely, once again leaving us in the search for something more in tune with our initial desires for the business.”
 
This brings us to the purpose of their Crowdfunder campaign, to support them in their search for a suitable long-term premises. They have set their sights on a new project out the outskirts of Guildhall Walk and Commercial Road, namely a converted shipping container currently positioned on a site almost ready to open.
 
This setting is more in the direction of our vibe for securing a permanent spot for the street food style concept we have envisioned. Their plans include installing decking as terrain for the foundation to support outdoor seating, creating a shelter from the elements and securing a temperate environment with heat lamps and warm throws for the chilly evenings, all of this intertwined with additional characteristic flora in the form of mature tropical trees.
 
If you’d like to know more and see the plans then you can do that via their crowd funder page which is linked below. We are fully behind this and would love it if as many of you as possible would do the same. If all of our social media followers donate 50p then they will easily reach their outstanding amount to hit their target.

Photos: Damian Cook, Kat_GotYourTongueBlog and Natty


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