Introducing Barbara, from Marley Vibes

Jan 26, 2022

“I moved here 20 years ago and I love it. It reminds me of my home in Jamaica, especially Gower, the beaches and streams intertwined with the greenery, it’s beautiful.

My background is in nursing, but I’ve always had a passion for cooking. It got to a point where I had to choose between nursing and food, and well, food made the cut! I nursed throughout the pandemic, and still do when help is needed, but my main focus is here.

I wanted to open my own place for a while. I used to walk past these units and think this would be a perfect spot for me; small and cosy, exactly what I wanted. My friend who runs the hair shop next door told me when this unit became free, and suggested I went for it, so I did!

Being from Jamaica, I serve traditional Jamaican food, using traditional methods. I think this is what makes me stand out, my food is authentic. Our best-selling dishes are curried goat and jerk chicken. But my favourite dish to cook is steamed fish. When I go home me and my siblings see who cooks the best steamed fish, I would always say it’s me, but of course, they think it’s them!

I also enjoy cooking dishes just when I feel like them. We have certain staples on our menu, but I do specials each week, and if they are well liked, I cook them again! I already have regulars that like to come back and try different dishes. I have train drivers that come to eat here in their stop-overs who even told me I was the talk of Paddington station at one point!

I hope my brother will come and work with me here. He’s currently a chef in Jamaica, I trust him and his cooking methods and want him as my business partner! He knows all the latest techniques. Our dream is that people will be queuing all the way down the road! We hope to deliver soon too, which is exciting. And we hope to throw a proper launch party in the New Year, showcasing our best dishes.

I’m so passionate about bringing my part of the world to Swansea. I want to share the best of what Jamaica has to offer; the food but also a sense of community. We hope to become like a local Jamaican beach hut where you can grab some good food, beer or rum!”

Find Marley Vibes in High Street Arcade.