Caribbean Dutchpot

Growing up in Jamaica, Inez Gayle spent a lot of time by her grandmother’s side. “My mom worked so my grandma took care of me, my five brothers and seven sisters,” she recalls. “She could cook! She taught me basically everything, like how to make curry goat.”

Inez’s family lived off the land, planting their own vegetables and raising chickens. When Inez moved to Canada in 1988, she still felt close to food and made a huge family dinner during her first Christmas. “It was a normal Christmas dinner that West Indians like – turkey, stuffing, fish, rice and beans.” Her aunt was impressed and told her she should open a small restaurant. Inez recalls telling her, “I don’t know if I can do it.”

But passion won out, and Inez decided to follow her heart to L'Amoreaux Collegiate and then to a culinary art school. Eager to share her love of cooking with the community, she and her new business partner Andrew Yapp bought The Caribbean Dutchpot from previous owners in 2016 and renamed their new venture The People’s Caribbean Dutchpot.