Hot food fuels revellers as they ‘wuk up’

Long before the first wave of revellers flooded the streets of the Corporate Area yesterday, 53-year-old Antionette Burke was already hard at work, her jerk pan blazing and the rich aroma of seasoned chicken drifting through the morning air.

By 8 a.m., while many were still preparing their costumes and getting their makeup done, Burke had already started her fire and was carefully tending to her pots along East Kings House Road. She said this is a routine that she has mastered over nearly a decade of cooking at some of Jamaica's biggest events.

"Every time I set up, the food taste good and it sell," Burke told THE STAR, as she flipped chicken over. "From early, I'm here getting everything ready because when the crowd comes, you don't get a chance to catch your breath."

Burke is no stranger to the local entertainment circuit. Over the years, she has built a loyal following for her mouthwatering jerk chicken, seasoned with a blend of authentic Jamaican spices that she said keeps both locals and international visitors coming back for more.

"I use my own seasoning mix, real Jamaican flavour, and I don't only do chicken soup, because everybody does that. I try to have a mix that keeps the customerrs coming," she said proudly.

"The foreigners especially love it. They always come and ask what makes it taste so different, and I tell them it's just good, proper seasoning and cooking so often over the years."

Though she has cooked at several high-profile events, including Rebel Salute, Burke admitted that carnival stands out as one of her favourite times of the year.

"The crowd is different because people come from all over the world, and when they stop and buy my food and enjoy it, it makes me feel really good," she said.

In real Jamaican style, she uses a tyre rim to make a stove where she boils her corn skin soup.

"It takes effort because a taxi took me here and I have set up a kitchen that is clean and get the work done on spot. But at the same time, I love what I do," she said.

Last year marked a turning point for Burke when she decided to try the East Kings House Road location along the carnival route, as post-COVID, things were slow.

"But when I came here last year, everything sell off," she recalled with a smile. "People were coming back asking for more even after I was finished. That's how I knew I had to come back here this year."

Determined to build on that success, Burke returned to the same location, better prepared and ready for the rush she knew would come.

"When the food done, it done, so this year, I made sure to come with more but not go overboard."

Throughout the day, customers steadily made their way to her stall, drawn not only by the irresistible smell but also by the reputation she has quietly built over the years.

"Some people remember me from other events and come looking others just a pass and stop here," she said.

Despite the long hours and the physical demands, Burke said the positive feedback from customers is what keeps her motivated.

"They even bring their friends to try it, and that means everything to me," she said.

"At the end of the day, I'm proud of what I do and mi like see when people a have fun and dem belly full. Mi feel like mi a mek people remember Jamaica."