With the mercury rising and summer holidays on the horizon, Thursday Food headed downtown, Friday last, July 3, to check out the city’s newest eatery Crumbles Café and Delicacies. Located across from the historic Kingston Waterfront at 12 Ocean Boulevard on the ground floor of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) building it certainly lived up to its pre-opening hype. Led by principal Sonia Tomlinson, herself a former international marketer and interior designer, this novel entry is a welcome addition to the local gastronomic space. The cosy 800-square-foot interior is still a work-in-progress but based on the naval wall treatment, low-spot lighting, and the artwork still to be hung, it’s going to be pretty impressive.

What’s ready, however, is the not-so-typical fare for patrons to enjoy on- or off-site. For the scores of curious patrons like Thursday Food seeking a departure from traditional lunchtime offerings, the menu features an array of alternatives like artisanal sandwiches and wraps, spanning everything from grilled chicken wraps to smoked salmon, chicken sandwiches and made-to-order salads.

The beverage line-up allows guests to kick-start their morning with a range of coffee beverages or selection of fruit refreshers, with flavours including guava, mango, lychee, and pineapple.

Breaking away from the status quo was the driving force for Tomlinson when she engineered the idea for the waterfront establishment.

“Crumbles is going to be different from the cafés that you have on the waterfront. We have a lot of restaurants in the city and they do the usual rice and peas and chicken, and things like that. [But] we’re doing something different,” Tomlinson told Thursday Food. “We are doing pastas and soups and salads and that is going to be our main thing.”

Capturing the momentum of the downtown redevelopment, Tomlinson is eager to play her part in offering a new reason for food lovers to spend more time in the city. “Downtown Kingston is developing fast. And I just want to be at the start of the rejuvenation. And Crumbles is going to be the place to come to downtown. I can tell you that for sure,” Tomlinson reckons.

For those perusing the menu, Tomlinson highly recommends the salads — singling out the jerk chicken as a particular favourite that she endorses without reservation.

It is the convenience and the array of menu alternatives that hold a strong appeal for UDC Director, Strategic Projects Robert Picart. “When you are on this block, you actually have to trek a good distance to get any food offerings,” Picart said. “So to have it nearby, and with healthy options as well, this is a welcome addition.”

With the promise of outdoor dining on the horizon and monthly summer series Crumbles Café and Delicacies will,
Thursday Food reckons, become a sought-out destination.

Crumbles Café and Delicacies

12 Ocean Boulevard, downtown Kingston

Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Saturdays and Sundays: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Tel: (876) 667 3626

Photos: Naphtali Junior

Crumbles Café and Delicacies’ impressive array of cakes, tarts, sandwiches, and salads (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Customers wait to make their orders.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Ardenne High School Visual Arts Teacher Joel Townsend enjoys the pumpkin and beef soup.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Chartered accountant Patricia Henry-Brown enjoys the pumpkin and beef soup.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Strategic Analyst Euan McKnolly finds a winner in the hearty pumpkin and beef soup.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Crumbles Café and Delicacies principal Sonia Tomlinson assists Urban Development Corporation Director Richard Picart with the menu offerings.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Mochaccino (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Pumpkin and beef soup (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Selection of salads (clockwise from left) chef’s green salad, house salad and protein salad.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Chicken (left) and bacon mac and cheese (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Solutions to Go Adminstrative Assistant Andrea Philbourne enjoys her chicken mac and cheese.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Blueberry scone (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Pinapple turnovers (front) and bear claws (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Urban Development Corporation Marketing Officer Chelseann Stephenson peruses the menu.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Grilled chicken wrap (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Digicel Customer Care Agent Jadine Harris beats the heat with a refreshing beverage. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Superintendent Susan Bruce (left) receives her chicken alfredo from Crumbles Café and Delicacies team member Gabrielle Hutchinson.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Carrot cake (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Urban Development Corporation Corporate Secretary Ann Prendergast readies to enjoy the beef lasagne.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Customer Tatyana Smith opts for the grilled chicken wrap.(Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Beef lasagne (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Urban Development Corporation Senior Records Officer Nicalos Sylvester snaps an ussie with Industrial Relations Officer Krystal Crossdale as they raise glasses of iced mocha and mango splash. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Crumbles Café and Delicacies’ menu board (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

The dining area inside Crumbles Café and Delicacies (Photo: Naphtali Junior)