The staff at the Jerk Junction restaurant at Kargo MKT, Quayside Media City, in Manchester, began “buzzing” when they received an order from American rap star Nicki Minaj. Minaj who was in town on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour to give two sold-out performances at the city’s Co-op Live venue. Before the first show on May 30, 2024, the rapper’s team contacted the popular local takeaway and ordered meals for Minaj and her crew.
Recommended by Nas
Jerk Junction, which offers Caribbean street food and has venues in Chorlton, Altrincham, and Wilmslow in addition to MediaCity, was recommended to the musician by the legendary American rapper, Nas. According to the head of operations at Jerk Junction, Mel Wynter, Minaj reached out to the eatery on a personal recommendation from Nas. In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Wynter said the story began in the summer of 2023 when Nas was performing at the Parklife festival and contacted Jerk Junction to order some food. “Everybody’s quite connected,” Wynter said, so when Minaj planned to stop in Manchester on her 2024 tour she reached out to Nas for dining recommendations.
A huge order
The staff at Jerk Junction in MediaCity went all out to fulfill the huge order of 21 meals consisting of jerk chicken, jerk salmon, chicken wings, sticky prawns, and sides of plantain and rice and peas, for Minaj and her team. At first, the staff wondered if the order really was for Minaj, but were told that not only was it for the famous rapper but that she might need another order on the second night of her Manchester performance, which she did. It was “go, go, go,” Wynter said, adding that everyone was running around to get things ready while also wanting to personal the order and make it extra special for the rapper. The staff even created custom t-shirts to celebrate the order and special cupcakes for Minaj.
Looking toward the future
The “buzz” created by the Minaj order has given Jerk Junction to believe with confidence that if another artist comes to the city to perform, they will know that “we’re the people to come to here,” said Wynter., who added that Jerk Junction knows “good Jamaican food in the UK can be quite hit and miss” and emphasized that the food at Jerk Junction is “proper authentic and it speaks for itself.” The eatery’s experience with the Minaj team has boosted its stature in Manchester and ensures that visitors who travel there will find authentic Jamaican food on offer.
Source – Deposit Photo
