Street Food Saturdays

Street Food Saturdays was created by Chef Simone Walker-Barrett, a culinary lecturer at the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica. Academic Roots & Inspiration The concept originated around 2015 out of Chef Walker-Barrett’s academic research into preserving traditional Jamaican cooking methods, specifically wood fires, coal stoves, and open-air smoke barrels. She noticed that trained chefs rarely utilized live-fire techniques, leaving the tradition largely to street vendors and rural cooks. Community & Culinary Tourism Chef Walker-Barrett launched the pop-up in her hometown of Mount James, St. Andrew. Her goal was twofold: Community Development: Boost local economic activity in a rural agricultural area that relies primarily on coffee and cocoa farming. Hands-on Education: Provide a living classroom for UTech culinary students and local community members, who staff and run the events alongside her. Evolution of the Experience What began as an informal riverside picnic in 2015 has grown into a widely recognized culinary attraction in Jamaica. It features elevated, wood-fired gourmet offerings, like guava-glazed turkey necks, rum-barbecue short ribs, and local crayfish (janga) soup, served to diners sitting at tables set directly in the running river water.