Situated just off the A406 Motorway junction at Wembley, the hungry with a car have no excuse not to take a foray to The Wright Jerk Centre. The frequent sight of motorbike crews outside the shop with bikes perfectly lined in formation let people know there are many others who savour the road trip to this far reach of London too. For perspective, there are only two seats inside. More space has rightfully been allocated to the wall-to-wall grills billowing smoke up metal chimneys frequently being plastered with cuts of chicken and a very rare addition of lamb rather than pork. With this base chosen or combined, the variations of cuts, sides and additions are in the multiple dozens, all ready to be eaten on the ride home.

Stretching from Westbourne Park to Latimer Road and hovering just north of the illustrious Notting Hill, Jay Dees sits in a locale that straddles a wide social spectrum, and manages to cater for all. Hailing from an era where the Red, Gold and Green, soundsystem speakers and jerk drums would have been a common sight in the area, the sizeable takeout feels like one of the last links to an era gone. While the shop has a host of recognisable options from small cups of daily soup to specials such as curry mutton and fried chicken, with the optics of a jerk drum rooted outside.

Located in the heart of London in Soho’s weekday food market, Jerk Drum street food stall served shoppers, tourists and nearby office workers alike who would otherwise be hard pressed to find anything even remotely similar for literally miles. Now with central London reduced to a patter of the previous footfall, Jerk Drum has built up enough of a reputation to sustain. Having done his jerk apprentice with George’s in Croydon (see above) it’s easy to see and taste why the flavour here is almost pandemic proof. While boneless curry goat and the vegan Ital curry pot all make completely valid asides, for all jerk needs look no further than the “Mega Mix Box” combining a smoky jerk pork and sweet jerk chicken mash up.

For local reggae legend King Atarney, music and food go hand in hand. Swooning reggae tunes — including some of his own — usually provide the sounds inside Blessed. Often cooking alongside his son on their wide furnace, turning chicken and taming flames with a water squirter, all of Atarney’s meals should be accompanied by his son’s all-purpose jerk seasoning sauce, also known as ‘Lightning Blessed!’ The title alone lets would-be eaters know what they are in for.

For anyone craving jerk in the wee hours of the day, when most others are tucked away in bed, Ossie’s still cranks out the goods. The £3 ‘chicken and chips’ is a favourite for worldly youngsters seeking an alternative to the scores of chicken shops lining the local high street, a takeaway institution in the area.

One of the few places on this list that doesn’t use a steel drum or pit replica of some sort, but still gets it spot on. Few places also manage to get the entire multitude of Caribbean offerings, but that’s why Peppers & Spice has existed for over two decades. Head chef Tex has perfected his oven technique for jerking meat, wet-seasoning choice cuts before roasting in large ovens for the locals to take home.
 

Also at: 541 High Road, London N17 6SD

Whilst relatively new compared to some other Caribbean spots in Peckham, this restaurant flies the colours of the Jamaican flag high for all too see. Owner Bill can sometimes be seen to the side of the shop, cooking up jerk chicken in a steel drum he made himself. On the weekend, his jerk pork makes a special appearance, with many lamenting that the shop doesn’t sell it every day. For Caribbean food novices, the shop’s mini meals that range from £2.50 — £3.50 are a fine starting point to take away right now.

Otis Wright’s Jamaican jerk chicken stand in the front yard of St. Augustine’s Tower, off Mare Street in Hackney Central, is responsible for some of east London’s best street food. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Wednesday to Sunday (subject to change), one of Wright’s lesser-known menu items is the £5 jerk chicken sandwich. He debones a freshly grilled leg of chicken, rose-coloured from marination and smoke, adds some cabbage, carrots, onions, and a touch of gravy. Customers add their own hot sauce and/or mayonnaise.

Just off Hackney’s Chatsworth road, expect to see proprietor Lenny drifting in and out of his shop, tending to his jerk drum sitting out front throughout the early hours of the day. His slow process of jerking hefty pieces of meat has proved an instant favourite in the area, and that hasn’t changed through recent months.

No-one is ever too far from a Jerk Garden in south London, whichever pocket they reside in. While the mainstream culinary attention in the area is reserved for Clapham and Brixton, with areas like Peckham and Camberwell slowly being broached by critics fearful of being stabbed, the deeper London enclaves further south rarely get a look in. Jerk Garden however, has for long been a champion for these ends. It shys away from the regular optics of a Jamaican jerk outpost in favour of white sleek interiors, plant pots and astro turf flooring, all befitting the garden moniker, which makes visiting the shop a refreshing experience. But while Jerk Garden looks to reinvent the Jamaican eating space, make no mistake: it’s not trying to reinvent Jerk chicken. With ten other options and variants of jerk from salads to coco bread sandwiches and dinner boxes, the advice is to arrive as hungry as possible for something to take away.
Also at:
59 Beckenham Rd, Beckenham, BR3 4PR

394 Brockley Rd, Brockley, London SE4 2BY

Mama’s Jerk opened in 2009, celebrating the legacy of owner Adrian’s great grandmother Mama Charlotte, and her secret jerk barbecue sauce recipe. Located in several spots across London, Mama’s Jerk continues to innovate with its sweet and tangy sauce, dousing novel fish cakes, veggie bean cake wraps, and a fresh salad chicken wrap that takes the rainbow as inspiration. All available for delivery and takeaway.

Also at: Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road SW9 8PQ