Born from a sweet tooth, Peckish Lunch & Catering has grown into one of Kingston’s most adaptable food ventures. Operating from downtown Kingston as both a catering company and takeout hub, the business serves everything from quick box lunches to full-scale corporate events with décor and service to match. Its focus is on elevating Jamaican meals, proving that even a modest takeout spot can deliver bold flavours with a polished touch.

“I usually asked my parents to buy me so much cheesecake all the time I just decided to figure out how to bake one, and that’s how I started,” Joseph Johnson, founder of Peckish Catering and chief chef, recalled during an interview with the
Jamaica Observer.

Transforming his love for cheesecake into a small baking side hustle, Johnson steadily expanded the venture, with cakes soon giving way to weekly pasta offerings. He later pursued a degree in hospitality and tourism management at the University of Technology, Jamaica specialising in food and beverage studies, which helped him refine his craft and shape a more structured business approach. He admits his motivation for going deeper into food may sound “cliché” — simply the desire to please others.

“You get a high out of pleasing people when you present a cake and they are like ‘wow’,” he said.

The business officially launched in 2016 while Johnson was still holding down a full-time job. Initially registered as a sole trader, it later transitioned into Concepts by Jay Limited, trading as Peckish, after it began doing business with government clients and wanted to further legitimise the brand. The company’s name, Peckish Lunch and Catering, came naturally based on Johnson’s own history with the love of food.

“I was told stories as a child that I needed three bottles of feeding in order for me not to cry, so I knew from ever since I was a ‘bellyas’,” he said with a laugh.

Though a passion for food was always there, it wasn’t until the pandemic that Johnson made the full transition into running Peckish Lunch & Catering. After being made redundant from his previous job, he threw his focus into developing the business, securing a location at 28 North Street in downtown Kingston. Faced with rental bills, he realised he had to do more than cakes, which pushed him to evolve Peckish into a takeout-only restaurant offering lunch meals. Customers were allowed to pick up orders during lunch hours, Monday to Friday. During the earlier days of Peckish, there was no food delivery service beyond pizza, and they were among the first to deliver hot lunches to corporate clients. Peckish Lunch & Catering had curated a rotating menu based on the owner’s own food preferences. These were seafood on Mondays, Jamaican staples on Tuesdays, wings on Wednesdays, wraps on Thursdays, and pasta and pastry on Fridays. But customers wanted traditional Jamaican lunches, especially rice and peas with chicken. To remain profitable, the business had to adapt, and the menu was adjusted to meet demand. From there, the business evolved further, adding breakfast service and catering to corporate events and weddings, all while maintaining its core 9-5 lunch operations throughout the week.

“From box food to white-glove service, depending on who we’re catering to at the time,” Johnson told
Sunday Finance. “I know that I am able to go into whichever space I’m planted in; my team and I can adapt to that.”

Peckish’s daily lunches remain its most popular service and have helped to cement the brand’s reputation downtown. But Johnson admits that this strong identity has also made rebranding a challenge. As the company grows, he has been working to shift perceptions from a simple box lunch provider to a full-scale catering business offering bold, elevated flavours. That push has included appearances at food festivals such as Kingston Kitchen, as well as hosting its own events to highlight versatility beyond lunch service. Today, Peckish functions primarily as a takeout spot, with orders placed via
WhatsApp and deliveries facilitated through platforms such as 7Krave and QuickCart. While the menu still reflects its early structure, rice and peas have become a permanent fixture, a nod to strong customer demand. For Johnson, the rebranding process is ongoing as he continues to position Peckish Lunch & Catering as more than just a cook shop.

From left: Millicent Johnson, cashier; Joseph Johnson, Ceo; and Lasia Montaque, operations coordinatorNaphtali Junior

Joseph Johnson Ceo of Peckish Lunch & Catering discusses with chef Keritha Graham-Brown as she prepares Curry ChickenNaphtali Junior

Chef Dwayne Ford getting baked chicken ready for lunch orders at Peckish Lunch & Catering. Naphtali Junior

The team at Peckish Lunch & Catering.

Breakfast prepared at Peckish Lunch Catering.

Peckish Lunch & Catering keeps it classic with Jamaica’s favourite meal: curry mutton and rice and peas..

.