The Jamaican Patty, a colonial-era Caribbean take on the English Cornish pasty, has evolved from a regional speciality to a snack popular around the world. With their flaky, golden, turmeric-tinted pastry and spicy, savoury beef filling with hints of thyme and scotch bonnet pepper they have become an indelible and beloved fixture of Toronto food landscape. But this wasn't always the case - in the 1980's the Canadian government got into a tangle with Toronto's Jamaican community in what became known as the "Patty Wars" — see the great CBC mini doc Patty vs. Patty for the whole story.

While your patties are baking, you'll learn how to make Coconut Drops (sometimes called simply "drops"), a popular traditional Jamaican confection made from diced fresh coconut, ginger, and brown sugar, known for their sweet, chewy texture and the distinctive heat of fresh ginger. 

In this fun, hands-on class Chef Avery Billy will walk you through all the steps to make both these tropical treats, from making the dough and fillings, to shaping and baking the pies. Participants will learn a bit of history of these dishes, tips on sourcing ingredients, snack on freshly baked treats in class, and get to take home samples of both dishes.
(Vegetarian filling available on request).

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Chef Avery Billy is a driven professional cook with a passion for crafting unforgettable dining experiences. Drawing inspiration from his Caribbean heritage and international cuisines. Full of energy, he creates dishes from his heart that tell a flavorful story of his roots.  @gb_hospitality_toronto