Contactus Ealing - Mar 2022 - Issue 22

Contactus

EALING Local business magazine

ISSUE 22

MARCH 2022

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West London’s #1 magazine for showing off local shops & services

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Contactus is 10 years old in 2022 • page 2

Cover illustration:

Hanwell Hootie in 2021 Painting by Carlene Bender

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Page 2 / Contactus Ealing / March 2022

Q&A

Joanne and Valene Marcano

Directors, Heart and Soul Caribbean Food Mother and daughter catering duo from Trinidad and Tobago, bringing “Roti Friday” to our hearts from their kitchen in Hanwell

Hello W Happy 10th anniversary to us!

Contactus magazines have been going since 2012 – we’re here to connect you with your favourite biz. Have a read, then flip over for the ‘Expo Guide’.

Thanks for ‘shopping by’.

Carlene Bender Editor-publisher, Contactus Ltd Web: Email:

contactusealing.co.uk info@contactusealing.co.uk

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‘Contactus Ealing’

“Hanwell Hootie in the Meadow 2021” by Carlene Bender

Local business magazine, West London Content (articles, photos, drawings), advertising and marketing – Carlene Bender, unless otherwise credited. Magazine concept, design and layout – Carlene Bender Created and produced in Ealing, just for Ealing

hy and when did you start up this “Heart and Soul Caribbean Food” business? Was it because of homesickness for Trinidadian food?

diverse, we have many cultures that buy our food. For our west Indian customers it’s a taste of home, and for other cultures it’s trying something new.

We really wanted to showcase that there is more A: We started out selling food to Caribbean food and that the outside the Tabernacle in Caribbean islands on the whole Ladbroke Grove. The steel band are quite diverse, and every Mangrove would practice there island has its own speciality. and they wanted authentic West Indian food. Someone What have been some of the who had tried our food at a ups and downs of running family gathering recommended your own business? Do the us and that was the start of food delivery apps work Heart and Soul for you?

How long has Roti Friday been going? Are most of your customers West Indian? Do you both work full time on the business?

A: Roti Friday started in the first lockdown. We were predominantly event caterers when we started, but due to the pandemic all of our events were cancelled, and we were at a loss as to what we would do next.

A customer who had hired us for her annual boat party contacted us because she had ordered roti from someone and she wasn’t really happy with it.

So she suggested we start a roti delivery service – and Roti Friday was born.

Our customers are very

A: There are several upsides to running our own business, for example some of the events we

THE CONTACTUS Q&A

have been so blessed to take part in, from barbecuing at No 10 Downing Street, to Rumfest and Notting Hill Carnival. Also there’s the joy we see from our customers when they try our food. We really put our heart and soul in every dish.

The downsides have been a few, like the difficulty in finding premises where we can start our takeaway business, and the uncertainty that the pandemic has brought to our business.

Deliveroo did work for us.

The reviews were great but unfortunately the production kitchen we were renting was sold so we had to close Deliveroo until we could find a permanent location.

Are you both Trinidad-born Trinis?

A: Joanne (mum): I was born in San Fernando, Trinidad. I came to the UK when I was 10 years old and did not return to T&T until 47 years later. A lot of my knowledge of Trinidad and

Contactus Ealing / March 2022 / Page 3

“There’s the joy we see from our customers when they try our food”

support from other businesses has been great, especially Lucy and her team at The Dodo Micropub. We have been collaborating with her for quite some time now and it has always been a great success.

Tobago cuisine has been passed down to me from my mother and my aunts.

A: Alongside Roti Friday, we cater to weddings, funerals, and birthday parties. We can do anything from a special dinner for two to a festival for thousands. We always put the customer first and pride ourselves on providing the best quality and experience they can have.

Valene: I was born in the UK, but I have visited Trinidad a couple of times for the annual Carnival – which is unreal, might I add.

How has Ealing responded to Roti Friday over the years?

Tell us about those local collaborations (e.g. with The Dodo Micropub)

Besides Roti Friday, what else does the business offer in terms of catering? And how can people get in touch with you?

If anyone wants to get in touch, they can send us a message via our Facebook or Instagram A: Ealing has responded very well page: @heartandsoulcaribbeanfood to Roti Friday. We get calls and emails daily from people wanting Or email us on: to be added to our mailing list to heartandsoulrotispecialist@ get the roti order form. The local gmail.com

Ealing Half Marathon - Mini Mile 2015

Painting by Carlene Bender Voted by you on Instagram as “Best Contactus Cover Art”