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I recently went to the Taste of the Caribbean food festival in London and very much enjoyed the day. My work life is so hectic that my weekends (if I’m not working) is for resting. But I really wanted to try a new food festival and I’m glad I did. So as I always do I wanted to share an honest review. If you have been here for a minute, you will already all know how much I love a festival, especially a food festival or a generic once in a life time festival that I can at least experience once, like Coachella.
Over the years I have seen and been to more and more food festivals in London, like the recent African Food Festival or National Geographic Food Festival, (both of which were good by the way). And I have been trying to go to more and more of them whenever I am in London instead of just staying at home (I know I’ve said this already) and resting because work is a lot. So decided to book a ticket and just go.
I believe that there is another Taste of the Caribbean food festival happening in September in Wimbledon Park 12 September. So worth reading through if you want to know what I got up too.
And if you are looking for other food festivals to go this summer head to – The 5 Best Food Festivals in London That You Can’t Miss
About Taste of the Caribbean
So what is the Taste of the Caribbean? The Taste of the the Caribbean is a food festival that (as it says in the title) comes together to celebrate different flavours and traditions of the Caribbean islands. At the festival you will find an array of Caribbean street food, live music, cooking demonstrations and a market filled with lots of lives sessions and people just enjoying themselves and coming together as a community. The festival is designed to bring together experiences for its attendees while offering good food though cultural experiences and culinary delights. All things that I absolutely love!
Taste of the Caribbean: Taste of Caribbean Food
I booked my ticket literally the same week it was happening. The entry was around £15, which for me is a pretty good price compared to some other food festival prices I’ve seen in London this year. The festival ran from 11am to 8pm, though I got there around 1pm after popping into a Nigerian pop-up first, and left around 5pm which by then I’d had enough of the sun, because it was about 34 degrees, so very hot. Details below:
- £15 for entry (kids do go free)
- 11 am to 8pm
- Location can vary worth checking out their website for exact location and timings here.
If you are thinking of coming to London you should defo read – Free Things to Do in London: A Local’s Guide (2026) and for hotels then check out the map below for hotels in the UK for you stay (depending on the food festival you decided to go to ofc).
Taste of the Caribbean Food
The minute I got of the train for Taste of the Caribbean food festival I could hear the buzz and the music, and then I could see the smoke for the jerk chicken as well as smell the food too. There were so many food stalls it was honestly hard to choose Roti Shack, sugar cane juice stands, slushi, cakes, sweet stands and so much more.
A Taste of Jamaica and More
It was hard to decided where to get food from but I leaned into my trick of going the stall with the longest queue, so that’s what I did. I ended up with a taste of Jamaica by ordering one of my fave oxtail and rice with plantain. And my cousin got the same but with corn. This all came to around £34 for both of us.
After eating our food we walked around the park and saw cake stands, live entertainment, and market stalls selling things like African beads and Ankara print bags and clothes. I spotted a herbal tea stall too and even a Korean food stall (I guess this was to mix things up a bit and cater to everyone).
Taste of the Caribbean: Live Sessions
Throughout the Taste of the Caribbean food festival there are live competitions. I missed a few of them because I didn’t know they even existed like the Jerk off but we did manage to stumble on the the live cake competition by accident which was truly a treat indeed.
There were two lovely women who baked a cake and we (the audience) were the judges. One made a lemon drizzle cake (my absolute fave) and the other a ginger cake. I got picked as one of the judges which was fun, and while I loved both, I voted for the lemon drizzle. It ended up being a tie between the two cake and so we had to have one more person try the cake and the ginger cake ended up winning in the end.
One thing that I loved about this live session and the food festival was the art of community. The festival had a sense of family and community to it which for me is the kind of thing that makes a festival more than just a place to eat.
There were also live cooking sessions throughout the day, including a okro, with sourdough cooking demo, which I didn’t get to see so missed. My cousin also bought their Taste of the Caribbean recipe book which I think they sold for around £10. Not bad for Caribbean recipe book with all the different dishes to make.
FAQ: Taste of the Caribbean Food Festival
What is Taste of the Caribbean?
The Taste of the Caribbean is a food festival that celebrates the flavours and traditions of the Caribbean islands, with street food stalls, live music, cooking demonstrations, and a market all with a real sense of community.
How much does the Taste of the Caribbean cost to get in?
Entry is around £15, and kids go free. For London food festival prices, there is also a VIP section which prices may vary.
What time does the Taste of the Caribbean run?
The festival runs from 11am to 8pm, though obviously you don’t need to stay the whole time and can vary please check your emails and communication for updates on the timings.
Where is the Taste of the Caribbean
Location varies by date and city. It travels around the UK, with events happening in places like South-end-on-sea, Swindon, Bournemouth, and Wimbledon Park and more. Check the webiste for more.
Is the Taste of the Caribbean family friendly?
Yes absolutely. It is very family friendly and kids go free, and with the live music, cake competitions, and cooking demos, it’s a fun day out for families as well as adults.
Is there more to do than just eat at the Taste of the Caribbean?
Yes there is live cooking demos, a cake and other food competition (which the audience gets to judge), market stalls selling things like Ankara print bags and African beads, and live music throughout the day.
Is it just Caribbean food at the Taste of the Caribbean?
As it says in the name yes it is a wide selection of Caribbean street food there are also drinks and there may be other food stalls for like Korean food stall and herbal tea.
Conclusion: So Should You Go to the next Taste of the Caribbean?
So to bring this quick review to a close I would definitely say that if you’re in London and want a day out that’s a step away from the usual routine, I’d say get yourself together and go to the next Taste of the Caribbean. There are many happening throughout the UK including Swindon (my home town), Bournemouth, Wimbledon Park and more. You can have a look and purchase your tickets here.
Have you been to Taste of the Caribbean or a similar food festival in London? Let me know your favourites in the comments, I am always on a look out to go to other Caribbean festivals and more.
Speak soon,
MBV x
