A FORMER high school teacher has swapped the classroom for the kitchen to bring Jamaican flavours to Gwent.

Iona Black runs Iona's Kitchen, making award-winning patties and pies that celebrate her family roots.

Fresh from winning the top three-star accolade at the prestigious Great Taste Awards, she spoke with the Argus about her inspiration and her success, which all started with a family visit to Jamaica.

"I'd just come back from a trip with my father, and he showed me the shop my grandmother used to run," she said.

"It was just a shed at the end of the street. In Jamaica, there are pattie shops just like there are Greggs over here."

Inspired by her grandmother's old business venture, Ms Black decided to try her hand at making patties - semicircular pastries filled with spiced meat or vegetables - but her first "customer" had very high standards.

"My grandmother used to fry them, but I bake mine - my dad said they were OK, but not as good as his mother's," she said, laughing.

From small beginnings, Ms Black began to branch out, setting up her first market stall at Llanyravon Manor in 2010 and more recently at the Cotyledon monthly markets in Newport's Belle Vue Park and Tredegar House.

It was at the latter location where the Argus caught up with Ms Black, whose products were proving extremely popular with the crowds.

South Wales Argus: Iona Black, the owner of the award-winning Iona's Kitchen, serves customers at the Cotyledon market in Tredegar House, Newport.Iona Black, the owner of the award-winning Iona's Kitchen, serves customers at the Cotyledon market in Tredegar House, Newport.

As well as offering Jamaican flavours such as curried goat, saltfish or jerk chicken, there were also homemade steak, chicken and apple pies on sale.

Ms Black's love of cooking comes from her late father, a "brilliant cook" whose kitchen was always full of "amazing smells".

"That's where I got the bug from," she said.

Originally from Cardiff, Ms Black moved to Gwent to work as a cookery teacher at Cwmbran High School, and now lives in Pontypool. Even though she has retired from the classroom, she continues to teach cookery courses for adults as part of Torfaen's community learning programme.

Last year, her steak and gravy pies won a one-star prize at the Great Taste Awards, and this year she picked up the top three-star prize for her curry goat patties, which also earned her glowing feedback from the judges.

"It's surreal," she said of her win. "I feel honoured, but I don't think there was anybody more shocked than I was."

The Great Taste Awards 2022

Three-star award winners this year, as well as Iona's Kitchen, were The Wye Valley Meadery for its Big Smoke smoked honey porter, and Parva Spices for its sambal hijau - a type of chilli paste made with fresh herbs.

The win marks a bittersweet moment for the Tintern-based spice specialists, after owner Ben Ford announced on Facebook this month he would be closing down the company.

He thanked customers for their support over the past six years, adding: "I am moving on to pastures new, so you will have to find somebody equally amenable about tickling your tongues from here on in."

Two-star winners in Gwent:

  • Apple County Cider Co, for its medium dry cider;
  • Black Welsh Lamb, for its mutton shoulder;
  • NS James Family Butchers, for its Welsh lamb chump chop;
  • The Preservation Society, for its candied jalapenos;
  • Terry's Patisserie, for its blackcurrant delice;
  • The Untapped Brewing Company, for its Ember ale;
  • Wye Valley Meadery, for its traditional mead.

One-star winners in Gwent:

  • Apple County Cider Co, for its Dabinett medium cider and its Apple County Yarlington Mill cider;
  • Basil and Rusty's Ice Cream Parlour, for its dairy vanilla ice cream;
  • The Blaenafon Cheddar Company, for its bara brith cheddar;
  • Brynmawr Rotary Interact, for its dragon pickles;
  • Claire's Home Bakes, for its luxury nutty brownies;
  • The Cocohut Curry Company, for its madras;
  • Jones Trust Your Gut, for its organic apple cider vinegar with honey and its Welsh kimchi;
  • NS James Family Butchers, for its marbled ribeye steak and its pork and chive sausages;
  • Parva Spices, for its sambal tomat;
  • Spirit of Wales, for its Steeltown Welsh dry gin;
  • The Untapped Brewing Company, for its Triple S stout;
  • The Wye Valley Meadery, for its honey.