{"id":613695,"date":"2025-12-05T11:22:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/613695\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:22:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:22:26","slug":"one-of-londons-best-caribbean-restaurants-has-been-forced-to-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/613695\/","title":{"rendered":"One of London\u2019s Best Caribbean Restaurants Has Been Forced to Close"},"content":{"rendered":"

After surviving a pandemic and the demolition of the Elephant and Castle<\/a> shopping centre, a top Caribbean spot in south London is being forced to close\u00a0following after a legal battle with its\u00a0landlord.<\/p>\n

Kaieteur Kitchen Original<\/strong> in Castle Square was a Time Out favourite, having featured on our ranking of London\u2019s best Caribbean restaurants<\/a>.\u00a0Helmed by Faye Gomes, known to many\u00a0as Aunty Faye,\u00a0Kaieteur\u00a0wasn\u2019t fancy or flashy but simply served some of the best Guyanese food in town.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gomes had been serving fresh Caribbean cuisine for 20 years at Kaieteur, including her\u00a0famous pepper pot, but a few months ago she was reportedly<\/a> handed a \u00a321,000 electricity bill and told she needed to pay upfront. Without the funds to do so, in October she arrived to open up shop to find it had been locked shut.<\/p>\n

Aunty Faye wasn\u2019t alone. Four other food traders in Castle Square \u2013 who had been relocated there from the shopping centre after it was knocked down in 2020 \u2013 received similar hefty bills and were barred from their stores.<\/p>\n

A fundraising campaign ensued to help the traders pay for legal bills to fight the extortionate electricity bills, but in a statement posted by the local charity Latin Elephant this week, it was revealed that\u00a0Kaieteur Kitchen\u00a0will close for good.<\/p>\n

The post<\/a> said: \u2018The landlord refused to lower the monthly repayment amount further, which was too expensive for them to accept.\u2019<\/p>\n

But all is not lost. Aunty Faye is on the look out for another commercial kitchen space this month, ideally in Southwark or Lambeth, and intends to launch a fundraiser soon. She\u2019s also hosting a pop-up kitchen\u00a0today (Friday December 5) from 5pm to 8pm at the Walworth Living Room.<\/p>\n

The Castle Square traders\u00a0are still fundraising to pay off legal fees. You can support them by donating here<\/a> or by joining the Walking the Elephant fundraising walk this Saturday, December 6. Find out more about the walk here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Time Out\u2019s\u00a0guide to the best Caribbean restaurants in London<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0<\/strong>follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stay in the loop: sign up to our\u00a0<\/strong>free Time Out London newsletter<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n