Natty's Jerk Bournemouth opens in town centre

Natty’s Jerk made an early impression, giving out 2,000 free chicken wings last weekend, but owner Natty Crutchfield, 44, said he wants the restaurant to become a ‘staple’ in the town.

Natty said the restaurant promises value for money, a safe space and a quality vibe.

The business began while Natty was a black cab driver in London but was living in Portsmouth.

He was at the Victorious Festival and went to look for authentic jerk chicken but couldn’t find anyone doing Caribbean food the way he wanted it.

He started doing pop-up markets and street food with his family, and realised it was gaining a following.

“At an early stage that we realized that this could be more than just selling food,” Natty said.

“As a person, I'm very proud of my heritage, my culture, and when I say that, I'm very proud of this relationship between British culture, my Jamaican culture and the fact that we can mix the things together.”

When Covid struck, Natty began running a takeaway from his home in Portsmouth, and, by the end of lockdown, he had bought a vintage van and successfully bid for a pitch on Southsea beach.

Natty said there would be queues for the food for an hour before they opened, “I think what I realised is that we were at that point, we were not only part of the community, but we were also creating a community, which we then realized we could shape to what we wanted, if you like, so we could set a narrative and use it for a positive.”

Following a crowd funder that raised more than £25,000 in 28 days from a target of £15,000, Natty opened his first restaurant, The Shack, in a Portsmouth car park.

The Shack went ‘from strength to strength’, with people travelling to the restaurant from across the south of England.

Natty then decided he wanted to spread the brand along the south coast and set on opening in Bournemouth as his first site outside of Portsmouth.

“Here we are, hoping that we can do the same in regards to giving people a taste of what I grew up with, using the recipes that have been given to me by my grandmother, that we've eaten with family members, stuff I've made at home for my children,” Natty said.

“I'm hoping Natty’s can become part of Bournemouth and be a steady staple, a safe space as well.

“You can come and relax, have the atmosphere, even if you come and just drink, a glass of water or green tea or whatever, we want it to be a place where people can just remove themselves from what's going on at the moment or in their lives, because everyone goes through things.”

Natty’s Jerk Bournemouth can be found at Tonic Social in Exeter Road.