Theresa Roberts was born in Jamaica and raised by her grandmother after her parents left for England to start a new life for their family. Theresa joined her parents in Battersea when she was 9 years old and has lived in London ever since and also has a home in Jamaica.
Theresa started Jamaica Patty Co in 2013 with her first shop opening in Covent Garden in March, 2014. A second shop opened at Liverpool Street in the City of London in 2021. Additional openings are planned.
VP: What inspired you to start Jamaica Patty Co? Â
TR:Â I wanted to create a business that promotes jamaica as an international quality brand. I love patties and had my father’s recipes that he brought to England with him. I thought there was a place in the market for retail outlets selling high quality patties and other Jamaican foods and that I could sell so I combined those two things.
VP: What do you enjoy most about running the business? Â
TR: The reaction we get when people try our patties for the first time. You cannot please all the people all the time but 99% of our customers consider our patties to be the best they have tasted. In the early days it was quite emotional for me to see some older Jamaicans moved to tears when they took their first bite!
VP: When you’re cooking, what’s on your playlist? Â
TR:Â Old school reggae mainly
VP:  If you could invite a Reggae artist down to one of your shops for a Patty and a chat, who would it be and why? Â
TR: It would probably be Beenie Man. I was lucky enough to have him play for me at my birthday celebration in my Jamaican home a few years ago but we did not get enough time to sit down and talk properly.
VP:Â Have you got any new plans for Jamaica Patty Co coming up in the near future?
TR: We are actively seeking new locations and hope to have 2 new stores open in 2023. These are very challenging times but we have proved the business concept and are set on controlled expansion.
Learn More About Jamaica Patty Co.
http://jamaicapatty.co.uk/visit/
Stream the Reggae Gold Playlist on Spotify