A new Caribbean eatery has arrived in west Watford, as Funky Elephant opened its doors earlier today (November 4) promising Caribbean cuisine with a twist.
The Watford Business Park eatery at 14 Faraday Close welcomed its first customers from 11.30am, with owner Ayesha Nurse admitting she was more than a little nervous.
Her venture all started with a background in making sauces and marinades, winning Great Taste Awards for her products.
In 2015 she set up Funky Elephant, providing street food at various events including the St Albans Comedy Garden and the BBC's Countryfile Live.
Ayesha says the venture has "grown and grown", outgrowing life in her home and necessitating a fully fledged unit for her first permanent eatery.
She said: "The only feeling I can compare it to is when you're going to have a party and you're not sure if anyone is going to actually turn up!
"I was hoping for a positive reception and I think we've got that. We opened at 11.30am and 10 minutes before, there were people queueing up outside. At one point the queue was out the door!"
- Memories of Watford High Street pub during the 1970s
- Watford Brick Festival: Popular Lego event coming to town
On her food offering, Ayesha promises something a little different to the usual Caribbean fare, explaining: "People can expect a different look at Caribbean food when they come here.
"When people think of Caribbean food they often think of Jamaica, but my background is from Barbados and so all of our food is cooked the way my parents did back home.
"It's a new way of looking at Caribbean food. The traditional dishes are all there but we've done it with a twist, there's a few surprises in there."
Ayesha intends to keep things fresh with an ever rotating menu that she hopes will keep customers coming back for more.
Aiming for quarterly rotations, the first change will come in January when new items will be added, although several staple dishes will be retained year round.
The new eatery has received a warm welcome on social media, with one happy customer "highly recommending" the food after heading down on opening day.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel