Hoodwood launches The Jacket Exchange in Kentish Town, swapping warm coats for Caribbean comfort food to support London’s homeless

Caribbean takeaway Hoodwood, on Kentish Town Road, will launch a community initiative called The Jacket Exchange from 12^th to 31^st January. The campaign invites customers to donate a clean, warm winter jacket in exchange for a complimentary Jerk Jacket Potato from the new menu range. The donated jackets will be distributed to local homelessness and community charities at the end of the campaign, aiming to provide additional support to those facing cold weather in the capital.

Running at Hoodwood’s premises in South Lonson, the initiative is spearheaded by Omar Shah, a restaurateur known for his work in the London food scene. The eatery will be collecting wearable jackets or coats in good condition from patrons, who in return will receive the new menu item, which features an oven-baked potato brushed with jerk butter and all-purpose seasoning, topped with melted cheese, oak-smoked jerk chicken, jerk gravy, white sauce, crispy onions and chives. 

Alongside the Jerk Jacket, the new menu range includes two other options: the Oxtail Butter Bean Jacket, which features an oven-baked potato with butter and oxtail butter bean stew, and the Chickpea Callaloo Jacket, served with vegetable chickpea callaloo. While the Jerk Jacket Potato is available as part of the offer, the other varieties will be available for purchase. Only one jacket can be exchanged per person, and the offer is subject to availability. Hoodwood staff reserve the right to decline unsuitable items of clothing, and substitutions may be made if the Jerk Jacket Potato is sold out.

Founder Omar Shah commented on the motivation behind the campaign, stating: “January can be a tough month for a lot of people, so we wanted to do something that brings comfort in more ways than one. Our new jacket potatoes are proper Caribbean comfort food, and by exchanging a Jerk Jacket for a real jacket, we can help keep people warm across London while sharing what we love most – food that brings people together.”

Food Desk

Hoodwood’s Jacket Exchange takes place from 12^th until 31^st January 2026 at Hoodwood, 81, Kentish Town Road, London NW1 8NY. For further information, visit their website here.