Derek Blake’s sister Pamela flanked by daughters Tallulah and Christina

THE goat soup was flowing at a celebration of a restaurant legend credited with transforming the food scene in Camden Town.

Derek Blake, who lived in Reed’s Place, set up and ran the lively Mango Room venue that grew hugely popular and provided a unique Caribbean dining experience.

The celebration event for Mr Blake, whose funeral is yet to take place, was held on Tuesday in Camden Road at Roger’s Kitchen, run by Derek’s cousin and first original chef Roger Shakes.

Two of Mr Blake’s daughters said they had been inspired by their father’s business ­acumen and had their eyes firmly fixed on carrying on his legacy.

Daughter Christina Paul-Blake said: “The important thing is daddy would have wanted to us to celebrate him in the best way possible. He lived a very good life. He did many things. But for me it was very inspiring seeing how passionate he was about his restaurant business. I would one day like to carry on his legacy.”

Derek Blake

Ms Paul-Blake, who is studying business and hopes to do a masters course, added: “There’s a lot of ways people show love, but for my dad it was cooking me a meal. That’s how he was saying I love you, I appreciate you.”

Another daughter Tallulah Paul-Blake said: “As a child he showed me this amazing world he had created here in Camden. It was really so impressive. He impacted people’s lives a lot, that’s what he loved to do so much.

“He was a very much a person who wanted to unite people. We knew him as daddy, but he was the King of Camden to some. He was Derek to others, he was even Bob to some people.”

Derek’s sister Pamela said: “We all know he was special. He brought something to Camden that wasn’t there before: Caribbean experience. He had a presence. When he was in a room you would know.”

Guests at the Mango Room, in Kentish Town Road opposite Camden Town tube station, included such celebrities as Spike Lee, Grace Jones, Tom Jones and Samuel L Jackson. It almost goes without saying that a regular diner was the Jamaican High Commissioner.

Mr Blake stepped back from the restaurant business in 2017 having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Roger Shakes

Mr Shakes said: “He was a quite a warm person, he liked a party, he liked his women. He was a proud man. Proud about his restaurant, he loved good things. He liked to be right all the time he didn’t like to be wrong.”

Richard Hatch, who lives in Primrose Hill, recalled how he was poached by Derek when he was working at head chef at Cottons in Chalk Farm Road.

Mr Hatch, who was the head chef at Delancey’s before Cottons, said: “There were good times, there were hard times. But he well and truly did it. When you go to a restaurant how many times do you see people sitting there bobbing their hands and feet at the table. You only get that vibe in Brazilian and Jamaican restaurants.”