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
