Handsworth-born chef stars in new short film

National World - LocalTV

A collaboration in Birmingham is shining a light on cultural and community champions, starting with the story of a Handsworth-born food trader. A short film, Jerkman, profiles his journey from local apprentice to celebrated culinary figure, highlighting his contribution to the city's cultural fabric.

Transcript

00:00One thing I've learned from an early age is that food brings people together.

00:06From my experiences going to the carnival, eating food with family, going to takeaways,

00:12places such as Bing's, Feed a Nation, Russell's, it's always been a social experience with music,

00:21good vibes, and it's just given me good feelings as an old person.

00:26Adrian's story highlights how food transcends being just a meal, it becomes a cultural experience,

00:32weaving together community and tradition.

00:34This sense of connection through food is at the heart of projects like Jerkman,

00:39where personal stories are used to explore broader themes of identity and heritage.

00:45I think a large part of showcasing the diversity of Brunel West Midlands is by working with real people

00:50and telling their stories as authentically as possible,

00:53and really getting them on board in terms of a process creatively and in terms of how they want to tell their story.

00:59Really it's my job to tell their story in an entertaining way that engages with a broad audience,

01:07to get attention onto that person's story and also their community and their culture.

01:12Karl's approach to storytelling captures the essence of Birmingham's diverse communities,

01:16focusing on authenticity and collaboration.

01:20Adrian's residency at Hockley Social Club builds on this by introducing Jamaican street food to new audiences

01:26and creating a welcoming spice for all.

01:29At Hockley Social Club, all walks of life come through the doors,

01:33and a lot of them haven't tried or are not familiar with Jamaican street food.

01:39It enables me to showcase what I do in an authentic way and it works really well.

01:47The second thing is a lot of the local community, they're not familiar with spaces like this,

01:54but knowing that there's food there that they're familiar with and enjoy entices them to come down.

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