BOROUGH MARKET’S BEST KEPT SECRET
JUMA specialises in Iraqi cuisine as well as being thoroughly skilled in modern, Middle Eastern cuisine and Ottelenghi-style cooking.
Phil Juma is the heart and soul of Juma Kitchen. He has a simple mission: to share his beloved Iraqi food with as many people as possible.
Phil’s a self-taught chef, an Iraqi-English-Irishman who grew up in London and worked in finance in his twenties before realising that following his passion for cooking Iraqi cuisine couldn’t be ignored anymore.
After gaining experience working in some of London’s top kitchens (places like The Savoy, Maze, NOPI restaurant and Ishbilia), Phil quit his job and started JUMA Kitchen.
In 2012, he ran his first pop-up dinner, where his lamb dolma (onions and vine leaves stuffed with mincemeat) became a signature dish on his 5-course tasting menus, and he’s never looked back.
Since then, he’s appeared on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000xpgl/saturday-kitchen-03072021), appeared as a judge on Masterchef The Professionals (2021), been awarded winner/finalist for Best Street Food by the BBC Food & Farming Awards. HE has also appeared as a judge on BBC Masterchef The Professionals (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0012bf9/masterchef-the-professionals-series-14-episode-18)
He’s also written columns for the London Evening Standard newspaper (https://www.standard.co.uk/author/philip-juma), been invited by the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cookery school to teach Iraqi cooking classes, has hosted over 100 sell-out suppers and catered numerous high-end events, included the Financial Times. In 2019 he opened his Iraqi street food kitchen, KUBBA at Borough Market.
JUMA is now growing his brand globally, hosting pop-ups in Copenhagen and the UAE, and has recently been invited to the Qatari Royal family’s home, to cook for them during this year’s World Cup.
As an English-Irish-Iraqi, Philip has been influenced by both Middle Eastern and modern European cuisine throughout his upbringing and this is reflected throughout his style of cooking today. Having worked in the finance world for the majority of his early twenties, Philip spent his weekends fuelling his passion of food and working in and out of London kitchens. Names include French & Grace, Ben’s Canteen, Wild Game Co, Ishbilia, The Savoy, MAZE and most recently Ottolenghi’s, NOPI.
Philip heads up the team at the kitchens of JUMA, while writing a fortnightly, food column for The London Evening Standard.
We are so looking forward to experiencing some of the dishes that Phili and his talented team will be serving up at our festival this year.
