Dom Taylor, known as Chef Dom, is a charismatic Caribbean chef known for his vibrant personality and impressive cooking.
He rose to fame after winning Five Star Chef in 2023, a competition judged by acclaimed chef Michel Roux Jr.
Dom earned a 10-month residency at the Langham Hotel, where his elevated Caribbean cuisine won rave reviews and sold-out bookings.
In May 2025, Dom launched Marvee's Food Shop in Ladbroke Grove, a relaxed, 60-cover casual Caribbean eatery named for his mum, Marvee.
Launching Marvee’s
The Staff Canteen sat down with Dom to speak on his new restaurant, and his steps for the future.
He said: “Marvee’s is Caribbean food - but with my own twist. It’s a soulful and playful nod to the classic Caribbean takeaway. Think casual street food, but with intention. All the Caribbean staples are there - we’ve got jerk chicken, but I use boneless thighs, and I serve it with a planting jam that I also retail. That comes with my homemade jerk sauce. We’ve got boneless curry goat, a gunga pea dhal with banana blossom, and some brilliant sides like mac and cheese, pumpkin rice, and a roasted pineapple and tomato chow.
"I wanted it to feel fun and nostalgic, but also elevated and full of flavour. It’s the kind of food I grew up with, and I’m just stretching the boundaries of what makes Caribbean food Caribbean food - showing how creative and contemporary it can be.”
Dom’s upbringing
Born in South-East London to a Jamaican mother and Saint-Lucian father, Dom’s cooking is steeped in the culture and traditions of Caribbean home kitchens.
He added: “I’m one of five children, born into a single-parent household, and I guess there was just a natural need for someone to step into that nurturing role. I found it through food. It started really simple - cakes, biscuits - but it quickly grew. Before long, I was cooking dinner for the family, and Sunday dinner especially became this big, important ritual in our house. That’s really where it all started. I went to chef school, and that’s when Chef Dom was born. I realised that what I loved doing at home, I could actually build a life out of - I could cook for a living and tell my story through food.”
cultural roots of Caribbean cooking
Dom explained: “My mum’s Jamaican and my dad’s St Lucian, and food was everything in our family. It was how we expressed love, how we connected. I remember watching my mother, my grandmother, my aunties in the kitchen - cleaning meat and fish, seasoning it, marinating, preparing everything by hand. There was so much care and ceremony in it. It wasn’t just about eating - it was about showing care. That energy, that closeness, that ritual… I wanted to hold on to it. I think that’s why I was drawn to the kitchen in the first place. That’s where the heart of the house was.”
the industry challenges
While Dom thoroughly enjoys his job, some days make it harder to enjoy, he added: “Hospitality is tough - anyone who’s in it will tell you that. Staffing is probably the biggest challenge, finding the right people with the right skill set and the right mindset. And then there’s the cost of living - it’s high, and it affects everything from supplier prices to what customers can spend. It’s a balancing act every single day. But for me, the reward outweighs the pressure.
"When someone eats your food and feels something - that makes it worth it. There’s nothing quite like seeing a full restaurant, people smiling, and knowing you’ve been part of making that happen.”
proudest moment so far
Dom added: “I’ve been really fortunate. There have been so many amazing milestones in my career. But if I had to choose one, it would definitely be my residency at the Langham Hotel. That was off the back of winning Five Star Chef on Netflix.
"I got a ten-month residency there, and we were sold out the entire time. It was a huge moment - not just for me personally, but for Caribbean food. To be in a luxury hotel like that, serving this food that’s so personal to me, and having it received so well - that was huge. One of the biggest highlights of my life, for sure.”
long-term vision
Dom has big plans for the caribbean franchise, adding: “In five years, I want to see Marvee’s as a brand with sites up and down the country. I think Caribbean food deserves that platform. It deserves its rightful place on the UK’s culinary map. I don’t want it to be boxed in as just takeaways or street food. It can be smart, it can be playful, it can be refined - it can be anything we want it to be. Right now, I’ve just opened Marvee’s in Ladbroke Grove, but there’s more to come. We’ve got a couple of exciting projects in the pipeline for this summer. I don’t want to give too much away just yet - but stay tuned.”
written by abi kinsella
