The Jimmy’s Killer Prawns Story.

Born of a dream, the first Jimmy’s Killer Prawns opened in June 1991.

The old mining house where the first Jimmy’s Killer Prawns was run from had previously been the site of a failed restaurant. When he was offered the site, he and his wife Penny fell in love with it and signed for it without knowing what they would do with it.

One night Jimmy had a dream… The dream was about a Sunday lunch that he had enjoyed with a group of his friends, in Lourenco Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique. A group of about 20 friends sat at a long table drinking “Gatao” and “Laurentina” in the garden of the Peri Peri Restaurant. In his dream, Jimmy had an aerial view of the table. When the waiters brought out four huge platters of prawns and placed them in the centre of the table for all to share as if through a camera lens, he zoomed in on a platter of these prawns and woke up. He immediately knew that prawns were the product he needed to focus on in the new restaurant.

He tasted prawns in the rustic homes of peasants in Zanzibar, in a restaurant built on stilts on the beaches of Southern Kenya, and in the Home of a prawn fisherman on the Island of Inhaca. He also tried the Costa Del Sol Restaurant, famous for its prawns, and the legendary Polana Hotel in Lourenco Marques. Jimmy could not find what he was looking for in his quest to perfect the prawn. However, he brought back many exotic spices and herbs. Over some months he and his chefs tested out different blends and techniques. Daily his customers sampled different prawns, some good and some mediocre. Then he created a blend which strongly accentuated the natural taste of the prawn. Just what he was looking for. Eureka!!! THE ADDICTIVE TASTE of Jimmy’s Killer Prawns was born.

This, combined with his ability to create an environment that is warm, fun and vibrant is what has turned Jimmy and Jimmy’s Killer Prawns into an international legend.