Branch Patty
All photos by Curt Saunders for Black-Owned Brooklyn
Chef Samuel Branch remembers a 2009 New York Times article about “Brooklyn’s new culinary movement” — the burgeoning community of cooks, bakers and makers who handcraft food with fresh, local ingredients and small-batch authenticity, all wrapped in Brooklyn-branded hipness. Working in fine-dining kitchens at the time, Samuel was energized by what he read but had one question: Where are the Black people?
“I grew up in Flatbush, so when I see things representing Brooklyn without Caribbean Americans, it’s like, ‘How is that even possible?’” says Samuel, 40, who moved to Brooklyn from Barbados at age 12 and considers fresh, natural cooking a major part of his heritage.
He and Lisa Lloyd-Branch, his wife of 13 years, are now part of that culinary movement. As co-owners of Branch Patty, they make enormously craveable Jamaican-style patties with local ingredients and deep flavors from across the Caribbean. You can find catch them every weekend at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg, and their vegan patties are also sold at Greedi Vegan’s Bed-Stuy location.
“We wanted to marry the concept of Caribbean food with all that we’d learned about sustainability.”
Now, we ruffled some feathers this summer when we declared a Haitian-style patty as Brooklyn’s best. The Jamaican delegation was displeased! Well, we have an additional favorite in Branch Patty, which serves made-from-scratch Jamaican-style patties inspired by the kind Samuel grew up with — specifically those from the great-but-now-gone Flatbush Avenue institution, Christie’s.
As a Barbadian-American, Samuel didn’t have a go-to recipe when he started his concept. But as a highly trained chef (FYI, he’ll be flexing his culinary chops next week presenting entrees at the James Beard House), he got straight to work perfecting his own. The delicious results: a Guyanese chicken curry patty with turmeric crust. A kale and callaloo patty, fully vegan down to its impossibly buttery shell (another vegan offering is stuffed with jerk-seasoned mushrooms). Classic beef with a paprika crust and pasture-raised beef. And their latest seasonal offering, vegan curry chickpea and summer squash.
“We wanted to marry the concept of Caribbean food with all that we’d learned about sustainability,” says Lisa, 39, emphasizing Branch Patty’s use of high-quality, local ingredients (no mystery meat, fillers or artificial colors) and authentic flavor profiles. “It’s important for us to have integrity in every aspect of what we do.”
“People look at patties as a snack, or a street food, but it’s important for people to know that Caribbean food can go to different levels,” Samuel says of the way that Branch Patty redefines expectations of Caribbean cuisine by presenting expertly crafted food that builds upon tradition with innovative new spins. Lisa adds that their family-owned business is about building a legacy for their three daughters. “We talk to our girls all the time about showing our excellence as a people,” she says.
You can find Branch Patty every weekend at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg (70 N. 7th St.) and order a batch for pick-up by visiting branchpatty.com.
