Plant-based café The Plantry aiming to fill bellies, hearts and minds
Published:Thursday | July 13, 2023 | 12:08 AMShanel Lemmie/Staff Reporter
Through her self-proclaimed ‘quirky expression of love’ Danielle Terrelonge is ensuring Jamaica is full in the heart and full in the belly.
Terrelonge is the creator of the plant-based café, The Plantry. Initially a venture out of her living room, the establishment that has known many homes first came as an exercise in Terrelonge’s reverence to food.
“It’s how I express my love to people, it’s how I express my gratitude. It’s how I worship, it’s everything. I have been in love with food since I was probably four years old. My keenest memory is being in my grandma’s kitchen, she would make roti,” she giggled, remembering the many afternoons she would spend with her grandmother making the traditional Indian flatbread.
First located in Kingston, then moving to St Elizabeth and Terrelonge’s home parish, Portland, she said she was finding great success in providing traditional Jamaican food in a sustainable and consistently exciting medium.
“You know when you go on a pilgrimage, that’s of kind what the experience is. It’s very spiritual, very intimate – it’s ancestral. It’s the things you and I know, the people abroad that are just getting into trendy Jamaican super foods are also knowing but then our great grandmas and great great grandmas would know exactly what’s on the plate because it’s the stuff that they ate because it’s very authentic but it’s just made in a fun, sexy way. The focal points within the brand, it’s all about the redirection, positive energy, medicinal healing qualities of the food. And just like loving your food and loving on yourself in the way that you are.”
Now consolidating her efforts into one location, Terrelonge is focusing her efforts of fulfilling her lifelong dream of creating a coffee shop.
“I just know that I have always wanted to have a coffee shop with café culture where people come and have a nice coffee and they share space with others, and if there is some good food, they can geek out and enjoy it and this was that opportunity to create that space so that’s what’s happening now.”
Located on Steer Town Main Road in Drax Hall, St Ann, The Plantry’s new location will offer a community space for the public while indulging in food and paying homage to local artisans.
“It’s a very intentional space, a lot of love has gone into it, a lot of time and energy has gone into it. There is some parts of this space that is not just a coffee shop. It’s more of the culture that Plantry is trying to create of collaboration, community and just long-term sustainability, especially for artisans,” she beamed excitedly.
While the menu will change seasonally to accolade Terrelonge’s farm to practice that was birthed out of her keen respect for her farmer grandfather, crowd favourite like the previously controversially named b********t burger will be making a comeback.
Speaking on the rebrand, Terrelonge said, “It’s called the black mamba, it has been renamed, we made it a bit more palatable for the masses. It used to be called The b********t burger because when you see it and you try to eat it you’d be like that b********t burger.”
She continued, “For the café , I said ‘oh no, The b********t burger haffi deh pon the menu’ no questions asked. But after I did the menu, I was saying well the vid of this space is very sexy, decadent, you know, it’s a space that you like. You come because it look good and you stay because everything make you feel good.”
Made from lentils, seasonal veggies and Terrelonge’s very own spicy ‘thot sauce’ all packed between two charcoal-activated sourdough buns, the black mamba is being touted as the eatery’s flagship offering.
Sharing her gratitude for the creativity she is afforded in making her plant-based delicacies, Terrelonge said, “I play with food and you guys pay me.”
The Plantry’s Drax Hall location is set to officially open during Reggae Sumfest weekend 2023.