Jaiyé

Jaiyé is a Yorùbá word meaning “to enjoy life, to live fully.”

Here at Jaiyé, it’s a reminder to make time for good food, good people, and genuine connection.

Founded by Funke Olatunde, a British Afro-Caribbean creative and Registered Midwife with Nigerian and Trinidadian roots, Jaiyé is a love letter to the flavours and values that shaped her.

Funke grew up in a home where food was a language of love — where Nigerian stews simmered beside Caribbean coco tea, and every meal carried the warmth of community.

At university, that love became something bigger. She began cooking for friends and classmates, running a small food venture from her student kitchen that grew to over seventy orders a day at its peak, before she left to pursue a midwifery degree. Later, during lockdown, she reignited that spark through Jerk BBQ and Nigerian–Caribbean fusion meals delivered to friends and family.

Those experiences made her realise just how deeply food connects people. She felt it again and again; the laughter, the comfort, the joy — and thought, “I can really do something with this.”

After working in healthcare, Funke saw first hand how much environments matter; how kindness, belonging and culture can transform people’s wellbeing. Out of that understanding came a quiet resolve to build something better: a space where everyone feels welcome, respected and cared for.

Jaiyé was born from that vision. A place that blends restaurant-quality food with the warmth of home, serving up modern West African flavours, in intimate supper clubs designed for conversation, connection and joy.

Every dish tells a story, every table holds space for community.

Come for the food. Stay for the feeling.