IKEA UNVEILED a new dish at their restaurants earlier this week, serving jerk chicken with rice and peas - but not the rice and peas you’d expect.
The Swedish company known for their homeware, furniture and in-store restaurants - which offers a selection of Swedish meatballs to coffee and cakes - faced criticism after an image went viral displaying their take on jerk chicken with white rice, green peas and lime for the price of £6.95.
Taking to Twitter on Monday (Sept 9) one user tweeted an image of the dish, which he captioned: “This is IKEA’s jerk chicken and rice and peas and no I’m not eating it.”
This is IKEA’s jerk chicken and rice and peas and no I’m not eating it ???? pic.twitter.com/BFPJ1CWBmR [2]
— . (@Themlotsdad) September 9, 2019 [3]
An image of a billboard featuring the meal was then shared on Twitter by journalist Lorraine King. She wrote: “Jerk chicken with white rice and green peas? Can people stop bastardising traditional dishes please?”.
Jerk chicken with white rice and green peas?
Can people stop bastardising traditional dishes please? pic.twitter.com/pqWgEsQMZZ [4]— Lorraine King (@lorrainemking) September 12, 2019 [5]
The tweets, which gained over 168 likes and 400 retweets, led many to share their thoughts on IKEA’s attempt on the traditional dish, revealing their disappointment.
One user wrote: “@IKEAUK PLEASE get a Caribbean chef next time. Or at least do a flipping google search. This is food violence.”
Another tweeted: “This is annoying. They love our food, music, culture but then try and deport our elders in #windrush.”
Speaking to The Voice, Lorena Lourido, Country Food Manager for IKEA UK and Ireland said as of today (Sept 13) the dish has been removed.
“IKEA is a Swedish home furnishing company with a much-loved food offer. We take inspiration from many countries around the world and have always worked to combine different flavours and ingredients to offer delicious, healthy and affordable dishes,” said Lourido.
“We’re aware that our new jerk chicken, served with rice and peas has created some conversation and in some cases offence. Our intention was to create a dish for many people to enjoy but we appreciate that we may have got it wrong. We apologise and we are now re-looking at the dish.”
See more reactions to IKEA’s jerk chicken and “rice and peas” below:
I gotta ask. who goes to IKEA looking for authentic jerk chicken. Like what possesses someone to go you know who does jerk chicken properly....the swedes
— john millwall fox (@johnfoxmillwall) September 9, 2019 [6]
Jerk chicken from IKEA? Oh hell nah https://t.co/ulV3zFjyI4 [7]
— Meech (@ThatNYKid_MITRI) September 11, 2019 [8]
That ikea jerk chicken was looking kinda good low key
— Mariano (@Robo_kushu) September 11, 2019 [9]
IKEA sell jerk chicken?????? https://t.co/UkFU8eELs5 [10]
— Noelle✨???? (@noe_whalee) September 9, 2019 [11]
So Ikea selling white rice n green peas with jerk chicken . White ppl I turn my back for one second
— Strive N Prosper Mixtape Out now link in Bio (@FabzMCR) September 12, 2019 [12]