By Sarah Tanburn
It’s just three months since Bridge Studios opened in Ely. An offshoot of Canton’s Bone Yard, this container village beside the A48 roundabout in Ely is home to craft brewer Flowerhorn and the wine delivery VinVan Caerdydd.
Tempting us out on a hot Friday evening was the pop-up Taste of Turner, promising home-cooked Caribbean food with a unique Welsh taste. We were not disappointed. The hard-working, friendly team offered permutations of goat curry, peas and rice, slaw and croquettes, all served with a side-order of laughter.
The goat was cut into tender mouthfuls of delight with just the right amount of heat - enough to set your taste buds dancing while still revealing the flavourful sauce. The rice and peas were rich with colour and texture, the kidney beans like soft garnets and the rice dark with the chilli. A robust slaw held it all together in a luscious creaminess. Croquettes helped us shovel it in.
We wolfed it down, sitting on our pallet seats in the early dusk. All the tables and chairs are upcycled, with a wild array of heights and widths. In this new era, wine and beer are ordered using an app, accessed via the QR code with your table number. I fumbled at it till the lovely server from VinVan helped me out. Taste of Turner, being new, was more old style, with an actual queue. Such a spot brings a real sense of community into the area.
Simon Turner set up this unique offer during lockdown. He was in isolation last Friday, running operations over the phone, but he talked to me afterwards. His grandpa, who merits a documentary too, left a book of recipes from his St Lucia roots. Si found it in his mother’s attic a while back. Now the takeaway menu includes such staples as Welsh cakes with ginger and rum, Welsh whelks with extra lime and spice and lamb curry made with finest marsh-fed lamb. Si is proud to use Welsh produce in all his food, partnering with local suppliers. This is true Welsh fusion food, just like Si’s family itself.
Taste of Turner can be found on Facebook and Instagram, delivering across Cardiff and the Vale alongside occasional pop-ups. Keep an eye on the changing offers; I can’t wait to try the brown down chicken myself. Order a take-out, put your beer in the fridge and enjoy soul food with people you love.
Taste of Turner: like and follow online for news and orders.
