Jamaican beef patties are gaining recognition as one of Toronto’s defining foods, with Bloomberg highlighting the Caribbean pastry’s place in the Canadian city’s diverse culinary culture.
In an article published October 14, Bloomberg’s Melissa Shin described the Jamaican lunch special as “an iconic Toronto dish,” noting that the city’s residents speak more than 190 languages and have access to cuisines from around the world.
The report, published by Bloomberg Pursuits, featured Toronto’s Jamaican food scene and highlighted Fahmee Bakery, where Jamaican patties are a specialty.
The recognition underscores the influence of Jamaican food beyond the island, particularly in Toronto, which has a substantial Caribbean community. The patty, traditionally made with a flaky, golden crust and seasoned fillings such as beef, chicken or vegetables, has become a familiar food across Canada.
Jamaican patties are sold in bakeries, restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets, making them accessible to consumers well beyond the Caribbean diaspora. Their portability and relatively low cost have also helped establish them as an everyday food in Toronto.
Bloomberg’s feature places the Jamaican pastry among the foods that help define the city’s identity, even as Toronto continues to embrace cuisines from across the globe.
In 2022, Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh sat down with actress Kerri Washington on her show “The Street You Grew Up On” and the two bonded over Coco Bread and Patty.
“Our School was divided into two major groups, half of my school was Tamil and half of my school was Jamaican,” Singh recalled, while Washington responded, “oh my people.”
Singh said everyday at school she would have a Jamaican patty.
Washington revealed that she would ship them from the east coast of America to where they are both filming in Los Angeles.
“Sometimes I have them shipped from the East Coast so I’ll let you know. You can come over to the crib, you can have some patties and Cocoa Bread. The whole situation. We’ll have to hook that up,” Washington casually told Singh.
That same year Drake expressed his love for the Jamaican invention after Randy’s Patties announced that they would be closing as of today Feb. 26. That news didn’t sit well with God’s Plan rapper, so he expressed openly on Instagram his interest in buying the Jamaican Patty spot because it’s one of his food favorite.
Complex Canada, reported after Tyrone Edwards made the announcement of the closing, Canadians dropped comments expressing their deep disappointment online. Drake, always keeping his ears to the streets enquired about the iconic Jamaican establishment.
“I’ll buy Randy’s right now,” he said via Instagram. The original Eglinton Avenue West location was closed in February 2022, but reopened in August 2024 after renovations. In April 2025, Randy’s also opened a location inside Queen’s Cross Food Hall at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
