With the lockdowns and restrictions that have dominated the past two years, you might have missed the arrival of this hidden gem which claims to be the first of its kind in Newcastle.
Tucked away on New Bridge Street just outside of the city centre, Lev’s Delivery specialises in Jamaican dishes. Owners Theo Bondswell, 25, and Levi Raine, 26, wanted to be the first to bring their love of Jamaican food to the North East.
A passion for authentic Caribbean cooking runs in the family - the story behind the creation of Lev's dates back to when Theo’s grandmother, known by the family as Grandma B, left Jamaica to start a new life in the UK.
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Years later the whole family had established a tradition of visiting Grandma B at her home in Bradford every Christmas, where she would cook “all the classics” from Jamaica.
Learning about Jamaican food and culture from his grandmother growing up inspired Theo’s love of home-cooked food, and he soon decided that once a year just wasn’t enough to enjoy homestyle Caribbean cuisine.
When Theo met Levi in 2016 and discovered that she shared his passion for food, the pair decided to take things to the next level. Finding that the North East was lacking in places that offered authentic Jamaican food, they decided to bring an original Jamaican soul shack to Newcastle.
“That is something that we pride ourselves on - bringing those Caribbean flavours to the North East,” Theo says. “I think it’s something that it’s been waiting on for years.”
After many taste tests and recipe tweaks to perfect their menu, all from Theo’s mam’s kitchen in Gosforth, Lev’s Delivery was born.
Staying true to its roots, the compact shop has the Jamaican flag painted on the ceiling, a mural of Bob Marley on the wall and a photo of Grandma B in pride of place.
Theo’s personal favourite dish is their stew chicken - dubbed a "Grandma B special" - but other favourites among their customers include shredded jerk chicken, curry mutton, and mac and cheese, as well as beef and lamb patties which “sell out every day”.
As a new independent business, Lev’s had a challenging start - when the shop first opened at the end of 2019, Theo and Levi couldn’t have predicted what was to come.
After spending months getting their newly refurbished shop ready to unveil to the public, no sooner had they opened their doors than the UK was put into its first national lockdown as Covid cases surged.
But luckily for Lev’s, it turned out to be a good time to be in the food delivery business as people turned to ordering meals to their door when going out was no longer an option.
After huge demand throughout the pandemic, Theo and Levi are now hoping to expand the business by opening a restaurant in Newcastle city centre this year, to give diners the chance to sit down and try their authentic Jamaican food.
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