JUICIE PATTIES JAMAICA

While in Negril we popped into a patty shop. Of course I had a beef pattie, but spotted that they also make Ackee, Cheese and Shrimp patties.

The fillings are becoming more extravagant to cater for more tastes. The snack has taken on a whole new role. Are you tempted to embrace this trend of diluting the traditional beef or vegetable pattie with new fillings? 

I still maintain these different fillings should be named something other than pattie. Any suggestions?

Maybe 'Jamaican pastries' could be an optional name/identity? Unlike Danish pastries that are sweet the Jamaican pastry could become the new savories wrapped in pastry. At least when you ask for a pattie you would know your choice is beef or vegetable. 

I have not diverted from the purpose of this blog to find the best tasting pattie  in the UK.

The hunt goes ever on.

BAMBOO HUT

479A High Road Leyton stone
London
E11 4JU.

020 3441 7171

Bamboo Hut in Leytonstone caters for weddings and parties.

They also have a delivery service minimum order £15 within 3 miles of the shop.

Beef Patties 

Lots of pastry making the filling seem like a little spread inside of the pattie.

They don't make there own patties but when I asked who the supplier was the young lady serving did not know who they got the patties from. I suspect they get them from Taste Buds or the same bakery that supplies Taste Buds - very similar shape. Although the baker may of had an off day this time.

Pastry - the pastry was good, light, flaky, melt in the mouth. There was more pastry than filling. - 4

Shape - it was more like a Cornish pastie shape than a pattie. It just needed another fold on the edge to be recognised as a Cornish pastie.  - 2.5

Filling - it was meaty but a small spread of it.

Flavour - bland with mild Caribbean flavouring -  3

Total score 9.5

REFILL CARIBBEAN CUISINE

REFILL CARIBBEAN CUISINE

500A Brighton Terrace
Brixton
SW9

Little shop packed high with food. So much food and different combinations and choices. I don't believe they won't have what you want. 
The food looks and smells good... and the queue is long.

Meanwhile the patties look like genuine homemade.

Lamb pattie

Pastry - pretty golden colour and flaky, but tasteless and bland - 2
Filling -  Questionable filling that has the meat colour but a smooth paste texture - 2
Shape - artistic - half circle, crimped edges with fork markings giving it the home made look - 4
Flavour - lots of pepper, but mild Caribbean flavour

Total - 8

LEADING IN THE PATTIE REVIEWS APR-JUN 2017

The World of Patties Blog proudly announces the top three pattie shops for April-June 2017  are:

First place

BROWN EAGLE – Wood green

NICE - Birmingham

RUDIE'S. – Stoke Newington

Runners-up

Peppers & Spice - Tottenham

Island Delight – Supermarket supplier

These scores are not set in stone. Chiefs, suppliers and bakers change and the quality of the product may change with them. We are happy to update our review anytime.

Below is the list of all shops that have been reviewed to date with their scores:

1.      BROWN EAGLE – Wood green High Street, N22 Nr. bus station - 14

2.      NICE - Frozen food unit at the Bull Ring Indoor Market, Birmingham – 14

3.      Rudie's. 50 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XB. www.rudieslondon.com info@rudieslondon.com Tel. No. 020 7249 9930 – 14

4.      Peppers & Spice, 541 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 6SB, Tel: 0208 801 7182 – 12

5.      Island Delight – Supermarket supplier - 12

6.      SUGAR DUMPLIN - can be found at the back right hand side of Enfield Market in a wooden shack -11.5

7.      THE TASTE BUD - 21 Silver Street,  Enfield Town EN1 3EF. thetastebud@yahoo.co.uk  - 11.5

8.      CAFE ALLEYNES - 2 Ladysmith Road, Enfield, EN1 3AA. Email: bookings@cafealleynes.com  - 11

9.      SAVANNAH CARIBBEAN - 14 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UT - 11

10.   UPTOWN CUISINE - 20A West Green Road, Tottenham  - 9.5

11.   CRUSTEE  2 North Square, Edmonton Green.  N9 0HW.- 9

12.   Sweet Delight - 110 High Road, South Tottenham, 02088091532 - 9

13.   PANDA BERRY, 2 Nether Street, North Finchley, N12 0EL.  Info@pandaberry.co.uk 02034415089 07587822041 – 8

14.   Tasty Budds @ Mr. Bagel - 15 Ridley Road, Stoke Newington, London E8 2NP. 02034892829 - 7

15.   AUNTIES BAKERY - 409 Green Street, Plaistow E15 -  6

TASTY BUDDS @ Mr. BAGEL

Tasty Budds @ Mr. Bagel
15 Ridley Road
Stoke Newington
London E8 2NP.
02034892829

JUST EAT LINK

I was drawn to this shop by the music blaring from a single speaker box placed at the front door. It is slightly back from the pavement so you will not see it by standing at the top of the road.
The pattie is the shape of an envelope and the pastry as thick as a jiffy bag! The pastry taste alright, but it's so thick and so much of it that it spoils  the balance of pastry and filling.
They display a registered for Halal food sign.

Pastry - thick! So thick that I couldn't  eat three quarters of it. The balance between pastry and filling was ridiculous. - 2
Shape - square-ish. Made worst by how thick the pastry was.  - 2
Flavour - both the filling and pastry had a flavour I would call it mild Caribbean seasoning nothing to excite the taste buds.
Filling -  taste okay, but not sure if there is any meat in the filling more of a thin layer of savory flavoued bread pudding .  - 3

Total score  7

PS      This shop is open 24/7

PPS    All the other food looked great

PPPS The music is good.

The Pastry is so thick that I couldn't  eat three quarters of it. The balance between pastry and filling was ridiculous!

SWEET DELIGHT

Sweet Delight

110 High Road

South Tottenham

02088091532

CLICK HERE

Lets presume it is a family business because two enthusiastic children (I guess under 16 years of age) were answering the phone and taking orders and doing everything to satisfy the customers; as a woman barked instructions from behind the counter as she shared the food into containers.

Considering it was Sunday afternoon there was a line of shoppers nearly out the door and it wasn't because they were serving slowly. So the meals must be good - I hope!

No beef pattie on the day I visited, but I was offered lamb.

Pastry : The pastry is thick and cardboard like and taste bland - 2

Shape :  Half circle, but it's thickness made it look/seem more  squarish - 3

Filling ; The filling looked like meat, you could actually see the onions.

Flavour : I would call it a mild blend of Caribbean seasoning, but it was surprisingly tasty. The score is more for looking like meat as well as the taste. - 4

Total 9

THE TASTE BUD

The Taste Bud.

21 Silver Street,  Enfield Town EN1 3EF.
thetastebud@yahoo.co.uk

The food heater had several patties neatly packed. Plus they actually had beef patties which is a rarity now-a-days.

The lady that served the food made me feel very special. You'd think she was handling the most precious substance in the universe. She was also friendly and helpful.

Pastry - the pastry was good, light, flaky, melt in the mouth. There was more pastry than filling, but the quality made up for it. - 4

Shape - it was more like a Cornish pastie shape than a pattie. It just needed another fold on the edge to be recognised as a Cornish paste.  - 2.5

Filling - The darkest brown filling I've ever seen. Someone must have been happy with the browning! More of a smooth bread pudding texture.

Flavour - Excellent flavour. Caribbean and pepper flavouring -  5

They also have a Halal guarantee.

Total score 11.5

CHARLIES TASTIES

This World of Patties Blog would not be complete if it didn't include Charlies Tasties. Carribean bakery based in Tottenham on Seven Sisters Road.

 In 1973 there was one other West India shop on Cold harbour Lane in Brixton and Charlies Tasties in Tottenham and that was it from the point of view of shop fronts.

Charlie Rex and his wife Ms. T had been baking hardough bread and patties years previous to opening Charlies Tasties and delivering their products around London from a bakery based in an industrial estate in Southgate.

Taking that step in 1973 to open a shop was a monumental decision. The challenges they faced in getting a property and the hostility pointed towards them did not put them off - they stay focused. Now we take West Indian bakeries for granted but they were not common back in the 70's.

The scoring is not bias, as Charlie Rex was in the UK  (2015) and made patties. This put the group of us there to witness and taste his patties in no doubt that our memory and reality are the same. 

Pastry - flaky, nice colour, melt in mouth - 5
Shape - half circles with smooth edges and no bursting out of filling - 5

Filling looked meaty, moist and not coloured - had a natural cooked meat colour.
Flavour - spicy, peppery & tastie without being to hot - 5

Total score 15

UPTOWN CUISINE

Uptown Cuisine
20A West Green Road
Tottenham

Busy, noisy little shop. Loud music, loud men. Everything's quick, quick, quick - you have to know what you want before you start ordering - no preamble.

No beef patties this time, but  he offered salt-fish and vegetable and a couple of others  - talked to fast and I  didn't have the heart to ask him if he really said 'cheesy beef' pattie?

Good food display. The fish were lined up like soldiers.  No grease in the saltfish fritter tray.

No beef patties! ?!! Chicken and salt-fish only today  I chose the chicken... The thought of cheesy beef made me feel nauseous.

Pastry - Really flaky pastry. Nice colour - 4

Shape - The general shape okay, but it looked like it had been sat on!?! -2.5

Filling - pale, no chicken pieces. Seemed like it was all fillers.

Flavour - Good flavour, just a bit more pepper would have been nice. - 3

Total score: 9.5

SUGAR DUMPLIN

Sugar Dumplin can be found at the back right hand side of Enfield Market in a wooden shack.

Close your eyes. You immediately feel the authenticity. Shut out the surroundings and replace it with a beach, a few palm trees and sunbathers  and the scene is set to enjoy some real back-a-yard  food.

The patties have obviously been packed when they were hot so they look like they've been sat on, but that doesn't take away from the excellent taste.

Pastry - the pastry was good, light, flacky melt in the mouth - 5

Shape - They were squashed! - 2.5

Filling - looked very pale, it looked more like fillers than meat.

Flavour - nice spicy taste - 4

Total score 11.5

TASTEE PATTIES - JAMAICA

I visited the Tastee Pattie shop in Lucea Town, Hanover.  My initial impression; 'this place is run down and can't be doing much'. They even have a sign reading 'no return or exchange without a receipt' which did not make me feel confident about eating there. After all it must be a regular occurrence for food to be returned if there has to be a sign!?!
 I am pleased to announce that complacency has not set in. The patties are worth queuing for.

A little bird told me that Tastee's also supply callaloo patties, but on the day I visited they were not listed on the menu.

Tastees is known as the first pattie makers in Jamaica since 1966 and have been consistent in the quality of the product and by all accounts have worked hard to improve as demand has grown.

The company has celebrated their success with projects within the community which has cemented their name with the people of Jamaica.
Other Jamaican bakeries supply patties that are similar - Tastee's is in the lead with - shape; half circle & crinkled edges, sealed flaky pastry filled with meat full of Caribbean flavour and fresh out of the oven.

CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY

JUCIE PATTIES

I mention Juicie patties and you know I am in the land of the original pattie - Jamaica.

Juicie patties lives up to expectations - Pastry, flavour & taste! I hope to try out Mr Tasties patties (the islands other popular pattie makers) before I leave, but I wouldn't have the audacity to compare these to the English version 's and English deviations of the pattie. On saying that Jucie Patties  have changed there fillings - the most noticeable is the ackee. 

Without saying anything my followers will know that I am disappointed that the home land has gone off in a similar direction of changing the filling of there patties but maintaining the same name as the original beef or vegetable patties. See my article "TRADITIONAL CUISINE - JUST SAYING"

So Jucie have made ackee patties to cater for the vegans. I have one question: is the pastry still made with beef suet?

PEPPERS & SPICE

Peppers & Spice
541 High Road
Tottenham
London N17 6SB

Tel: 0208 801 7182

CLICK HERE FOR MENU

FYI  They have callaloo patties as well.

Beef Pattie
The pastry is good. Light flaky & melts in your mouth. The pastry is why someone would eat this pattie again.

Pastry - light, flaky, melts in the mouth.- 4.5
Filling - The filling grey in colour. Little brown bits that could have been mince meat.
Flavour - Tasty, if mild in Caribbean flavour - 3.5
Shape - traditional half circle. Sealed - 4

Total  12

CHILLI BEEF PATTIE

The label reads:
"Island Delight
Chilli Beef Jamaican Crust Pattie.
Flaky pastry.
Tender minced beef simmered with nine herbs & spices and baked in a light golden flaky crust for the authentic taste of Jamaica's famous street food."

Note the terminology :
'Light golden, crusty, flaky pastry
Nine herbs and spices. Tender minced beef simmered.'

Wouldn't it be wonderful if "all" pattie makers attempted to achieve these criteria! ?!!

Pastry - light, flaky, melts in the mouth.- 4.5
Filling - looks like mince meat. Moist
Flavour - under tones of curry flavour. Tasty even if a bit mild. - 3.5
Shape - traditional half circle. Sealed - 4

Total 12

STEW PEAS PATTY

Juici Patties
Stew Peas Patty - 235g

Supplied by Juci Patties and can be purchased from Sainsbury's Groceries.
Item code: 7832738

Description
Mixed beans and vegetables in a spicy sauce, baked in a flaky pastry.
Vegetarian Society approved

No peas! Just a traditional blend of three beans, sweetcorn and coconut milk with authentic Jamaican spices in a golden flaky crust.

Serious Jamaican Food!
Jamaica's favourite patty brand is now being produced in the UK using Juici's famous recipes under the supervision of Juici's master baker.
Jukie Chin was 16 when he started making patties in his mother's kitchen to sell in the family grocery store. 25 years later, with over 60 restaurants Juice is Jamaica's best selling pattie.

Above is purely for your information only. Comment on pastry, shape, filling & flavour has been reserved for another time.

PANDA BERRY

Panda berry
2 Nether Street
North Finchley
N12 0EL.
Restaurant/Takeaway/Caterers
Info@pandaberry.co.uk
02034415089
07587822041

CLICK HERE to find out more

I lived in Finchley for a short while and considered this restaurant as my oasis in the middle of a world that I could not comprehend. Every meal is a reminder of home. The staff are friendly and the  atmosphere is bohemian in style, refreshing and down to earth.

As this is a pattie blog that is all that can really be commented on. At the risk of repeating myself, we do not eat patties for the pastry alone. Patties from Panda Berry have a lot of pastry, thick, large amounts of pastry. While the filling could be conceived as being spread with a knife thinly inside.  Sadly the patties do not match the standard of the food served at Panda Berry.

Pastry - good colour and texture, but so thick!?!! The thickness is why it only scored - 3
Shape - traditional half circle, but the pastry was so thick that it puffed up and looked more like a apple-turnover... - 3
Flavour - had flavour but not enough to know it was meant to have Caribbean spices.
Filling - The thinnest layer I have experienced since I started writing The World Of Patties Blog.  - 2

Total score 8

TRADITIONAL CUISINE - JUST SAYING

This week I sent out a request for you to nominate pattie shops and or suppliers.
I got a response I did not expect. Generally a lot of people have stopped eating patties. Plus they did not hold back on explaining why. The fillings of the patties they have tried have been questionable.
I am an advocate of the original beef or vegetable pattie. All other fillings do not count in my book. These things wrapped in pastry and called patties should be renamed and not come under the same category as the pattie. It is an insult to traditional Caribbean cuisine.
It is understandable that bakers are trying to be inclusive for all tastes and preferences. It's admirable and disappointing at the same time. If you want to create a different taste why not create a different name to?
We are offered saltfish, saltfish & ackee,  lamb, chicken, beef & cheese and cheese. These fillings are not traditional pattie fillings. Original ideas but why call them patties - is it because it's in a pastry case? Sausage roll, sambusa, stake bake, cornish pasties, chebureki and stake and kidney pies are all in pastry cases and have there own names. If you are going to create; be original with the name as well.
It is sad that other cultures trying a 'pattie' think saltfish & ackee is a traditional snack in a pastry case!
The hope is more effort can be put into getting the traditional pattie pastry, filling & flavour right rather than deviating into other fillings. The truth is if you got the original 'pattie' right there would be no need for these other filling. Just saying.

RUDIE'S

Rudie's

50 Stoke Newington Road

London N16 7XB

www.rudieslondon.com

info@rudieslondon.com

Tel. No. 020 7249 9930

Pastry - Not the traditional short crust pastry but the texture is just right. Colour on this occasion was a bit deep, but it did not take away from the excellent flavour - 4

Shape - As patties should be a half circle - 5

Filling - Looks like meat, great healthy looking colour and moist plus full of Caribbean flavour!

Flavour - Real flavour of Jamaica. Excellent! ! - 5+

The patties taste better than they look - Serious ting!! 

Freshly baked home made patties. Thin pastry, filled with 'real' seasoned meat. Caribbean spiced!! 😀

There are some pattie makers could take a lesson from Rudie's - serious ting!!

This is a review full of explanation marks, I can't help it the whole Rudie's experience is like that - Great!! 

Total score 14

LEADING IN THE PATTIE REVIEWS JAN-MAR 2017

The World of Patties Blog  proudly  announces the top three pattie shops this quarter January-March 2017 are:

BROWN EAGLE – WOOD GREEN

NICE – BIRMINGHAM

SUGAR DUMPLIN – ENFIELD

1.      BROWN EAGLE – Wood green High Street, N22 Nr. bus station - 14

2.      NICE - Frozen food unit at the Bull Ring Indoor Market, Birmingham - 14

3.      SUGAR DUMPLIN - can be found at the back right hand side of Enfield Market in a wooden shack -11.5

4.      THE TASTE BUD - 21 Silver Street,  Enfield Town EN1 3EF. thetastebud@yahoo.co.uk  - 11.5

5.      CAFE ALLEYNES - 2 Ladysmith Road, Enfield, EN1 3AA. Email: bookings@cafealleynes.com  - 11

6.      SAVANNAH CARIBBEAN - 14 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UT - 11

7.      UPTOWN CUISINE - 20A West Green Road, Tottenham  - 9.5

8.      AUNTIES BAKERY - 409 Green Street, Plaistow E15 -  6

Please note these scores are not set in stone. Chiefs and bakers change and the quality of the product may change with them. We are happy to update our review of any patties as time goes on.

WELL DONE TO THIS QUARTERS TOP THREE!

CRUSTEE PATTY

Crustee
2 North Square, Edmonton Green.  N9 0HW.

Edmonton Green's newest place to get your pattie.

based in Edmonton market near to Wilko's. The shop looks like it has great potential. The genuine smiles from the staff was so welcoming it made me want to stay. They actually have a pattie meal menu! For example you can get a pattie, can drink and slice of cake for £2.99.

The patties look like a meal in themselves, which I found out very quickly - the pastry is so thick and so much of it that to get the fullest experience I ate from the middle section to get some balance between the filling and the amount of pastry. The pastry could have made three patties. The pastry melted in my mouth and it flaked in a way that you just have to lick your lips. Unfortunately we do not enjoy patties for the pastry alone.

Pastry - great colour and texture, but so thick!?!! The thickness is why it only scored - 3

Shape - square-ish - why?  Let's get back to the traditional half circle - 3

Flavour - None

Filling - Looked like meat, plus moist and a good portion, but no spicy flavour. - 3

Total score 9

AUNTIES BAKERY

AUNTIES BAKERY

409 Green Street, 

Plaistow 

E15

Nr Upton Park

I could not be objective about this pattie, because when I bit into it I found  the pastry was raw.

So I got someone else to review it. This is the feedback I was given:
Good old pattie shape, crust was firm, soft to bite in to; even though the pastry had a  flakey 'appearance'. 

Fully filled with meat 🍖not much flavour at all, black pepper warmth 🤔

From this feedback the scoring is:
Pastry - It looked good, but the underside was spongy as if it was not baked right through. The score is for the look rather than the texture or taste - 2

Shape - The best thing about this pattie - 3

Filling - grey in colour. Lots of it!

Flavour - If you sprinkled white soft bread with black pepper they would have a similar taste to this pattie - 1

Total Score = 6

CARRIBEAN SPICE

Carribean Spice

West Green Road.

Beef Pattie

Pastry - Very thick - 3

Shape - bigger than any pattie we have reviewed to date, but maintained the half circle and no filling bursting out - 4

Filling - it actually looked like mince meat. Right consistency and moist. 

Flavour - Didn't taste of anything in particular. Not  a hint of spice or pepper. A sausage roll has more flavour - 1

Total score = 8