A biography for Andi Oliverhasn’t been written yet.
“Food, music and family. What else is there?”
“There's a Guyanese pepperpot that's a completely different dish to the Antiguan dish. And then they don't really make pepperpot in Jamaica.”
“As a teenager, I ran away from home to see the Clash perform. After school one day, my mate and I hitchhiked across the country. We had the time of our lives and got backstage, until someone asked our age, and everyone scarpered quickly.”
“Miquita and I get so frustrated going into beauty shops that are supposed to cater for Black women and being met by staff who don't really have any information or knowledge about our skin or hair, or any enthusiasm for the products. You know, you want to have a beauty experience that inspires you and makes you feel wonderful.”
“Saltfish reminds me of every Christmas we ever had as kids. Mum used to make it the traditional Antiguan way, cooked up with tomato, herbs, peppers and a little heat running through.”
“My mum was more of an everyday kind of come-home-from school-cook and my dad, more of an event cook - he would make big flourishing affairs.”
“I think people make things a bit dense when they don't need to be.”
“I broke both my legs in a hit-and run accident when I was 26.”
“Everything should feel special at Christmas. Everything that goes on the table should feel like it's got a little party hat on.”
“There's something about garnering success as you get older that means you're ready for it. I feel a lot of things would have been overwhelming when I was younger.”
“There's a honey-baked chicken dish I've done for 45 years at least. Our kids crave it, whether happy or sad.”
“My family come from Antigua, my mother was born in Saint Kitts.”
“My parents grew up on different ends of the same street in St John's in Antigua.”
“How can knowing more be a bad thing? You can only look each other in the eye when you know the history the world shares.”
“Loads of people in my family don't eat meat or fish. And in Caribbean cooking it's not a new idea, veganism. They call it 'ital' and that's how Rastafarians have eaten for decades.”
“I remember standing on the stool next to Mum and making white sauce for a cauliflower cheese for the Sunday meal when I was five or six.”
“Mum was a teacher and dad was in the RAF and they'd be working during the week but at weekends we'd all cook together. It was our proper family time, a time of conviviality, where we all actually had time to enjoy the complete madness of the family.”
“There's this idea that at 53 somehow you're winding down. Rubbish!”
“I am a big fan of London markets - Ridley Road and Chatsworth Road are two of my favourites.”
“Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside - in Caribbean cooking we love a fritter. It's a brilliant way for a dish with no meat to shine at the table.”