A grandchild of the Windrush generation, Taylor worked in kitchens cooking European food before founding a successful Caribbean private catering business.
In 2023, he won Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef.
His victory led to the creation of elevated Caribbean dining concept The Good Front Room at The Langham hotel in central London.
Taylor worked closely with Michel Roux - the programme’s host - reimagining dishes such as jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish.
He told Restaurant: “I wanted to create food that my grandmother would recognise as authentic. But at the same time, I needed to take Caribbean food to a place where foodies would say ‘wow, that’s exciting’. It wasn’t easy to strike that balance, but I believe I have.”
Initially planned as a six-month pop-up running until December 2023, the restaurant proved so popular that The Langham extended its run. It eventually closed on 30 April 2024.
After a brief spell running the more casual Marvee’s Food Shop in Notting Hill, Taylor launched a permanent standalone version of The Good Front Room earlier this year at Thomas Tower, next to Dalston Junction station.
Speaking ahead of the opening, Taylor said: “The Good Front Room is inspired by my great-aunt Myrtle and the sacred front rooms found in so many Caribbean homes — spaces kept for special guests and layered with pride and memory.
“As a grandchild of the Windrush generation, I feel a responsibility to carry the torch and keep our stories, recipes and traditions alive. Doing this now feels like the right moment to build something entirely my own, rooted in where I come from and led with intention.”
Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, of which Taylor was a big supporter, described the chef as ‘warm, kind, funny and stylish’. Writing on social media she says: “He was also an incredibly talented chef who championed the cuisines of his heritage, celebrating his Jamaican and St Lucian culture through food.
“He spent his entire career working in hospitality as a very passionate chef.
“The hospitality sector has lost someone truly special.”