Our Story

For us, there are so many ways to describe the beginning of Yello Yard but it would be best to see it as the scorching of the earth to start anew.

Many of us can relate to this after a tumultuous 2020-21. Now more than ever we are paying more attention to health, personal relationships, and social injustices.  

We (Mahalia and Jowayne) started Yello Yard at the end of 2020 over a love for studying and cooking Caribbean food. As a precursor, we spent our formative and teenage years in Nottingham. Memories were great however we eventually decided to pursue London, engaging in our respective careers. During our 8 years, we enjoyed the vast variety of amenities, especially the food spots. Let’s face it, diversity is the spice of food and London definitely wasn't lacking. Just before the pandemic in 2020, we made the decision to move back to Nottingham to be around family. During the hectic move back we admittedly ate out quite often and we really enjoyed it. The food in Nottingham is GREAT, however, one question kept revisiting us “where is the variety of Caribbean foods?”. Seven percent of Nottingham identify as having Caribbean heritage- that is actually quite diverse. The variety of Caribbean eateries didn't correlate to us. Sure, there are a good number of Jerk huts and Jamaican takeaways but not much else. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Caribbean bakery. We knew they worked because they are very successful in London.

Starting with patties, we will embark on the road to eventually open a real Caribbean bakehouse in Nottingham that competes with some of the best bakeries. With the help of Princes Trust, close friends, and family, we were able to achieve a professional setup and consistently recreate the best patties in the Midlands.

We have some exciting products being cooked up in the test kitchen and we can’t wait to reveal all we have to offer.

Thank you for being a part of this journey and enjoy the Yello goodness!

Special thank you

Marvin, Taiwo - We are truly grateful for your support in moving the amount of equipment we had to our new space. We were on a tight schedule and you were more than amazing.

Ed- Thank you for all the guidance you gave us whilst we were enrolled in the Princes Trust Programme. Your mentorship and guidance will forever be a part of Yello Yards DNA.

Mother P- Your support has been so strong and unwavering from the very start. You have been a major source of strength for us to see this through. Thanks for the freezer too.

Mother J- Again, Thank you for the ongoing support and constantly checking in on Yello Yard. You have been pivotal for the big clean-ups.

Daddy Oliver & Omar- Thank you for putting up with us and having to drive us around to collect ingredients.

Thomas - We appreciate your creative input and skills during the early stages of Yello Yard. You are extremely professional and efficient and look forward to working with you in the future

Denise, Henry, Jemiel, Serena & Sham - Where to start. Your advice, critique, and honest input have been something we really trust and have shaped the venture for the better.

All the taste testers- There are too many to mention, but you know who you are. You kept us on our feet with your honest feedback. It honestly made our products a whole lot better.

Nottingham will be put on the map for having a go-to artisanal and high-end Caribbean pastries