Bokits in London
Brothers Nico and Thierry Baptiste wanted to bring French-caribbean food to London after seeing it was under-represented. They launched Bokit’la, named after the Guadeloupean street snack of fried dough pockets filled with meat, saltfish or vegetables.
Nico says, ‘At first, it was dicult to get a street-food spot because nobody in the markets knew what bokits were. In Guadeloupe, they’re popular – we knew people here would love them.
‘Growing up, we were always around food. We learned from our aunties and uncles, grandmother and mother. Now, Mum does our chilli sauces.
‘We have dierent spots in London and do markets, festivals and events. It was dicult when we started, but now people ask for us. Seeing people enjoy Guadeloupean food is beautiful.’