When we teamed up with boxing legend Anthony Joshua, we knew we had to mark this momentous partnership by creating something special for our menu. AJ is not only one of the greatest athletes of his generation, but he’s also deeply connected to his Nigerian heritage and the food traditions that come with it. Our challenge was to capture those authentic flavours and translate them into Prep Kitchen meals that are vibrant, nourishing and true to our health-first philosophy.
To find out how those dishes came to life, I sat down with our Head of Food, Michelin-trained Paul Mason, to talk about the journey from inspiration to plate, to find out how he and his team recreated AJ’s favourite flavours for a wider audience.
Read more about our partnership with Anthony Joshua
From inspiration to plate: how we crafted the Prep Kitchen AJ-inspired range
Paul began by exploring the food culture that shaped AJ, immersing himself in the traditions of West African and Caribbean cooking. From the layered spices of jollof rice to the smoky depth of suya beef, he researched, tasted and spoke with expert chefs to understand what makes these dishes unique. He dined at celebrated restaurants such as Ikoyi, said to serve London’s best jollof rice, as well as more casual spots and street food stalls. He also drew information from interviews with AJ’s private chef, who shared details of the proteins and balance that AJ looks for, along with his love of fish and seafood.
Paul shared his thoughts about the process:
“What stood out was that it’s never just about heat or spice. The magic lies in hours of preparation and the layering of flavour, such as in jollof rice, where mushrooms, peppers, crayfish, spices and herbs combine to create its deep, rich taste. To recreate that at scale was really, really difficult.”
Challenge Accepted: Bringing Traditional Flavours to Your Plate
Restaurant kitchens can spend hours slowly confiting peppers in oil or layering spices over a hot charcoal grill, but Paul’s job was to recreate that same depth of flavour in a way that worked when prepping thousands of meals every week. It was also difficult to source some of the traditional spice mixes in quantities large enough to use in the Prep Kitchen, so the talented Prep Kitchen chefs had to painstakingly recreate their own roasted pepper spice paste and suya spice blends entirely in-house.
Authenticity was key for these dishes, so that meant also seeking out traditional West African staple ingredients like callaloo, egusi seeds and the right kinds of peppers. These weren’t always easy to find in large numbers - and at premium quality - but our chefs and procurement team worked hard to track them down!
The final challenge was to create these culinary masterpieces with the protein content, balanced nutrition and macros that our customers have come to depend on, whilst retaining the complex flavours. This approach underpins the whole of our range, where we take everything from homestyle, comfort food, to classic takeaway favourites, and make them healthy but still delicious!
The Final Round: Our Knockout Line-Up
Paul’s research resulted in a unique range that reflects AJ’s heritage while staying true to Prep Kitchen’s ethos. We think they’re bold, perfectly spiced and as close to authentic as we could get!
Check out the AJ-Inspired PK Range below:
- West African Peanut Chicken - Tender spiced chicken in red pepper and peanut sauce, served with peppers, onions and jollof rice topped with crunchy peanut nibs
- Caribbean Fish with Coconut Rice – Spiced basa fish on coconut Basmati rice, with leafy callaloo and collard greens, covered in an authentic Caribbean curry sauce.
- Suya Beef –Tender beef in spicy suya seasoning, served with callaloo and jollof rice, topped with a chilli peanut crumb and a fiery red pepper sauce.
- Mango Chicken with Coriander Rice - Spicy Peri Peri chicken breast with charred peppers and onions, tangy lime and coriander rice, and a fiery mango sauce.
- Jerk Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese - Juicy jerk chicken tossed through pasta in a creamy triple cheese sauce with roasted peppers, cauliflower and red onion
AJ’s verdict
When AJ was invited to taste the dishes he’d inspired, it was a proud day for Paul, as Anthony’s response was immediate, genuine, and very positive!
I've said no to a lot of brands, but this one is different. Prep Kitchen's protein-packed meals are made by experts, and taste great while still keeping me fuelled during training. It's healthy meal prep that packs a serious punch! Anthony Joshua
Paul shared that AJ especially enjoyed the beef and chicken dishes, while his team made a beeline for the mac and cheese. AJ also enjoyed the Butter Chicken from the main menu, which has been lovingly created by Prep Kitchen’s own curry spicemaster, Lalit Verma.
What stood out most overall was AJ’s reaction to our vegetable side dishes: he loved that the vegetables and accompaniments carried as much flavour as the hero proteins.
That’s something we pride ourselves on - every Prep Kitchen meal contains at least two to three portions of vegetables, which are always flavoured to complement the dish’s hero ingredients perfectly.
We’re so delighted that this delicious range of meals got the seal of approval from Anthony Joshua himself. Why not try them for yourself! You can find a selection of dishes from our AJ Inspired Range on Prep Kitchen's three-week rotating menu.
Subscribe to the Prep Kitchen meal prep service today, and bring AJ’s favourite flavours to your own plate!
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Announcing our Exciting Partnership with KJT
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