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.

Ayesha promises Caribbean cuisine 'with a twist'.Ayesha promises Caribbean cuisine 'with a twist'. (Image: Funky Elephant) 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.

The menu will be seasonal and rotate quarterly.The menu will be seasonal and rotate quarterly. (Image: Funky Elephant) 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!"

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. 

Queues formed around the corner on opening day.Queues formed around the corner on opening day. (Image: Funky Elephant)

"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.