Iraqi-inspired Juma Kitchen to close at the end of the year

Juma Kitchen in London’s Borough Market has announced plans to close on 31 December after seven years of trading, as the business heads towards “a new direction”.

Self-taught British-Iraqi chef Philip Juma started the Iraqi-inspired street food concept as a supper club in 2012 before launching a permanent outpost of Juma Kitchen at Borough Market in 2019.

Over the years, Juma Kitchen has received rave reviews for its kubba haleb, which are rice or potato patties filled with aromatic Baharat-spiced lamb mince.

However, in a post on Instagram this week, Juma said: “After seven beautiful years at Borough Market, I’ve decided to conclude our journey and close the shutters at the end of this year, 31 December 2026.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, but renewing our Borough lease no longer feels like the right choice, both personally and professionally. It’s now time to move forward and focus our energy on a new direction for the business.

“We achieved something really special. Borough Market gave us a home to put Iraqi cuisine in front of a global audience and build a community of people who continued to show up. It became something way bigger than I had ever imagined, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved.”

Juma thanked his staff and customers for their “openness, trust and willingness to embrace something new”.

He added: “I see incredible things ahead, with more food to share and more people to bring to the table.”