Jamaica is a popular island destination for people around the globe. In addition to the people and the culture, a memorable experience for most is the island cuisine. Educator Marlon Llewellyn, Marian University Director of Recruitment and Strategic Partnerships for the Klipsch Educators College, recent venture into the culinary world has created waves of excitement and cultural celebration for Jamaican cuisine in central Indiana.

Saturday, July 20, 2024, Llewellyn held a pop-up event at the Fishers Test Kitchen for his fast casual restaurant concept Scotchy Jamaican Grill. He also held two dinners on June 8. All three dinners were sold out.

From Classroom to Kitchen 

For two decades, Llewellyn’s day job has been as an educator. When he was a principal, his school earned two consecutive A ratings, and his Black male and female students had some of the highest achievement rates in the city and state. 

Currently, at Marian University, he travels across the country recruiting teaching majors students to the university. During his tenure, Klipsch Educators College has experienced a 20% increase in undergraduate enrollment and a 50% increase in strategic partnerships. His work and dedication emphasizes the importance of teaching and learning in our city. 

During the July pop-up, he shared that God’s voice was pushing him to bring his restaurant idea to life. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he desired to have the cuisine he knew and loved here in the Midwest. His mother had a restaurant in Jamaica for over ten years, so opening a restaurant continues the family legacy of bringing people delicious Jamaican food.

“On February 23, 2021, at 9:00 p.m., I journaled the concept of Scotchy Jamaican Grill. Instead, I called it Blossom’s Jamaican Restaurant in honor of my late mother, Carol ‘Blossom.’ On the 10-year anniversary of her death, God gently reminded me of the vision I wrote down again. This time, I did not allow fear to stop me from being obedient. I put action to my faith, and Scotchy Jamaican Grill and the  Fishers Test Kitchen collaboration was born” said Llewellyn. 

The Culinary Journey

Llewellyn spent years in the kitchen with his mother Blossom learning how to make Jamaican food. That experience taught him the best methods to prepare Jamaican food authentically and which items pair well together. For example, he noted that jerk chicken is traditionally smoked on pimento wood.

The pop-up had a fixed menu with three courses. The appetizer was salted cod and lump crab fritters. The entrees were Scotchy jerk chicken and Scotchy jerk pork served with rice and peas, fried plantains, steamed cabbage and bok choy, and fried festival (a sweet fried bread). The meal concluded with two ice creams: rum and raisin and grape nut.

The diners had massive praise for the dishes. A favorite item was the hot jerk sauce and the pickled sauce made with scotch bonnet peppers. Jermaine Barnes said, “The meat was tender, well-seasoned, and smoked just right.”

Looking Ahead

Llewellyn plans to continue hosting pop-ups at Fishers Test Kitchen. His ultimate goal is to open a string of simple menu Scotchy Jamaican Grill fast casual restaurants across the Midwest where diners can experience high-quality authentic Jamaican cuisine. He shared many Caribbean-themed restaurants smash the cuisines of several islands together, but he strongly believes that “Jamaican food can stand on its own.”

“Jamaica has the best food in the Caribbean diaspora. I will have a food fight with anyone from Trinidad, Haiti, Bahamas, Turks, etc. Who makes better jerks, oxtails, and rice and peas than Jamaicans? Jamaican cuisine is in a category by itself,” Llewellyn said with a playful grin. 

Llewellyn’s deep connection to his Jamaican heritage and his culinary skills created an environment of community much like the environment he creates in the school setting. 

He is profoundly committed and passionate about recruiting more young people for careers in teaching and education and is leading several strategic initiatives to increase the number of students in the education profession pipeline. He believes he can inspire more youth into a teaching career through his love for cooking, demonstrating the transferable skills that come from being an educator. 

“Recruiting the next generation of teachers and leaders is my love. I can use my passion for Jamaican cuisine and food to inspire students to see the creative and nurturing aspects of teaching. By showcasing how cooking requires patience, precision, and creativity—skills essential in both the kitchen and the classroom—I hope to ignite a spark in young minds. Just as crafting a delicious dish requires attention to detail and the ability to adapt, teaching cultivates these same qualities in individuals.”

Interested Hoosiers can follow Scotchy Jamaican Grill on Instagram at scotchy_jamaican_grill to stay in the know about the next pop-up event.

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