The Caribbean arrives to Northampton with Turtle Bay

Following an eight-month long renovation and an £800,000 investment, Turtle Bay comes to Northampton!

My first time eating Caribbean food and visiting Turtle Bay… ever!

I was very fortunate to have been invited to the preview VIP night for Turtle Bay in Northampton. And as a travel blogger, I may not be going to the Caribbean anytime soon, but I can certainly pretend that I was!

Honestly, I have never been to Turtle Bay in my life, even though there is one in Milton Keynes, so I didn’t know what to expect.

But wow. I was blown away by how incredible the place looked!

I was quite overwhelmed!

You never would had thought you were in Northampton. It was like you stepped in and you were suddenly transported to the Caribbean! I felt like I was on a mini holiday. But it wasn’t just the location and the inside that blew me away…

As we arrived, we were greeted by the waiting staff (who by the way, were the most accommodating and most lovely waitresses I’ve ever come across in Northampton) and we were instantly offered a free cocktail and some spicy nuts and popcorn to nibble on.

All evening was full of complimentary cocktails and food, but as I was driving, I just stuck with the one cocktail which was a very colourful and was called the Northampton Saints cocktail, which we were told is the Northampton only cocktail.

As I was driving, I eventually grew a fond love for their Pineapple and Coconut Smoothie which was so sweet!

As everyone came in, and I got to catch up with some of the Northants Bloggers, we were then called to the bar where we got introduced to the main staff at Northampton Turtle Bay, whilst some of the waitressing staff came to chat with us.

They were more than happy to come and just chat to us in general, tell us about the new restaurant and some were very interested in all of our blogging cameras we had on us!

A lovely waitress also gave us a tour around the restaurant, plus shared some cool facts about Turtle Bay and the restaurant. The restaurant screams everything Reggae, Jamaica, and Caribbean! The restaurant included an outside terrace, an insane bar area, with plenty of seating for people to rest.

The restaurant also included an open kitchen area which we got to have a look inside and see where they cook the jerk chicken and more!

Eventually, we were led to the bar area where we got to meet the owner, managers, waiting staff and kitchen staff. Whilst we learnt about the history of Turtle Bay, waitresses came by with plates of appetizers for us to try.

These included things like Orka Ladies Fingers (much yummier than it sounds), Crispy Whitebait, Peppers and Mushrooms, Jerk Glazed Ribs and more!

Eventually, we got ourselves another drink before being showed to our seats where we would get to enjoy a complimentary taste of what Turtle Bay Northampton had to offer.

Did you know…

There’s a Northampton in the Caribbean!

Yes there is!

They love their rum!

At Turtle Bay, not only do they have their amazing cocktail range, but they have over 40 different rums on offer!

The cocktail and rum range was superb. I will be returning to try more, as I couldn’t due to driving.

From Espresso Martinis, One Love, Classic Mojito, Bahama Mama and more!

They also offered Rum Sharing boards, where you choose 4 rums with a choice of mixer.

But the majority of their cocktails, and even their food included some form of rum! So there’s no escaping it!

Caribbean food is known for its spices

The food was incredible, but it was sure spicy and hot!

Throughout the evening, we were given a selection of different dishes from their menu including their famous ‘Goat Curry’.

Which actually had to be my favourite dish of the whole evening. We were also treated to a Spinach, Aubergine and sweet potato curry which was from their “one pot” range.

We also tried their Jerk Chicken which was INCREDIBLE. It was huge and came with a selection of three dipping sauces which all had different spices and flavours. But I could had easily had a whole plate of jerk chicken. A specialising in Caribbean cuisine.

We were also given a selection of their beach salads, including the Avocado, Butternut Squash and Mango Salad and their Spinach, Rainbow Beets and Watermelon Salad. Plus Sweet Potato fries which I was very happy about as they are my favourite!

Then finally – dessert! A selection of a Dark Chocolate Brownie, Banana and Toffee Cheesecake and Passion Pie. The perfect sweet ending to what had been an incredible feast!

It was quite honestly, the best restaurant opening I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere was alive and buzzing, all the staff were fun, energetic and accommodating and everyone was having such an amazing time!

It was great to see some of the Northants Bloggers again for a catch up too!

The VIP was a major success with many local bloggers, reviewers, journalists and even the Mayor of Northampton in attendance.

It was just a shame it was all on a school night, because I had the most fun and I certainly would have drunk more cocktails!

If you’re ever in or passing by Northampton, or live in Northampton – you need to check out Turtle Bay as it’s the Caribbean paradise that Northampton needs! 

I can’t wait to go back and eat a proper meal (and drink more cocktails!)

I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Maya and the team for inviting me to this VIP event. They did a spectacular job in organising it and after having a proper chat with her and the team, they were so lovely!

Turtle Bay is located on: 2-6 Gold Street, Northampton Town Centre, NN1 1RS.