About

I must have been about 7 or 8 when I remember cooking for the first time with my Dad...

...I tiptoed into the kitchen, climbed up onto the chair and peered into the floured mixture. "I want to do it Dad, can I have a go?". He slowly pushed the heavy bowl towards me and said "follow me". And I did.

Cooking with my parents was such a big deal for me. Looking back now, I was always fascinated with the processes. It was like MAGIC. One minute- flour, water, salt; the next minute - scrumptious fried dumplings, dripping with butter and special baked beans to soak up the crispy dough. 

The smell changed from room to room. The seating, watching Mum set the table as excited children now centred in anticipation of a feast and all that would follow...the dishing up and proudly announcing my contribution of course, "I cooked the dumplings all by myself!" (not entirely true, but no one questioned me). Heads down, grace complete and begin. Those memories are as vivid today as if it was yesterday.

Fast forward to May 2011. On extended maternity leave for my 6th child, exhausted and in a demanding career that eagerly awaited my return. Mum had been diagnosed with Dementia and Dad had passed in 2003. I realised that Mum and Dad were very similar people. I didn't feel completely alone until Mum passed. She never gave up on me. She repeatedly told me, "Monica, keep going. Put God first and don't give up!". She defended and believed in me, on numerous occasions.

How on earth could I ever honour the nurturing and unconditional love of my wonderful parents; coming from so far and sacrificing so much for us. Ms Dat…that's what they called her back home. In patois (the Jamaican language), although it was Ms Dot because she was so tiny, even as a young woman. What better way to honour, remember and keep her close than to start a business in her name. Ms Dat = Ms Dattie = Datties Soul Food. And so, in May 2012 (with Mums blessing), we opened our first shop. Ten years' in and hundreds of catering events later, that little, inquisitive girl is the Director of Datties Soul Food Ltd, feeding over 5000+ people from all cultures. Passionate about food - passionate about people.

Now more than ever, people (specifically the younger generation) are becoming more interested in food. The term ‘Foodie’ is becoming more common as well as the desire for cleaner and more culturally-diverse food. With this in mind, Datties Soul Food has decided to innovate our offering and cater to these new demands. In 2020, we launched 'Datties Soul Food Academy'.

We still do the occasional pop-up or catering event but our new priority is to give you a behind the scenes insight into how we create these delectable dishes and show you the work, history and care that goes into the food.

Our goal is to share the wonders of Jamaican culture with you, ensuring it can be passed down through generations, just like it was to me.

Not only do we show you how to cook all of your favourite Jamaican dishes through our cooking academy, but we now offer our delicious pre-packaged SEASONED™ blends in our online shop too!

Launched in 2021, SEASONED™ was created to give you the chance to share the great taste of Jamaica with your loved ones. Our four signature blends were developed to showcase the rich spices, mouthwatering aromas and authentic flavours Jamaica is famous for.

Craving a taste of Jamaica? Explore the site to learn more about my cooking academy or check out or new SEASONED™ blends in our shop! We hope to see you in the kitchen very soon!