Great Yarmouth will be getting a new restaurant housed inside a Grade II listed building.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: A building on 160 King Street in Great Yarmouth which has been preserved by the Preservation Trust and will be a restaurant and flats. Picture: Danielle BoodenA building on 160 King Street in Great Yarmouth which has been preserved by the Preservation Trust and will be a restaurant and flats. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

160 King Street, which officially re-opened as a residence and a business venue on Monday, is set to become the home of a new Caribbean restaurant called Jamaikan' Me Hungry.

Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll, 56, has dreamed of having her own restaurant since 2008 and now that dream is becoming a reality.

"I'm a mixture of excited and nervous," Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll said.

Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll - who was born in Lewisham, but grew up in Jamaica - has lived in Great Yarmouth since 2006 and got the inspiration for opening her own restaurant when working in the town.

"Years ago, me and my colleagues used to cook food and bring it to the office," said Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll.

"It just felt really good and it gave me the idea."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll inside the recently renovated 160 King Street.Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll inside the recently renovated 160 King Street. (Image: Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll)

Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll's restaurant will be serving her grandmother's "colourful and bold" Jamaican recipes.

"I'd like to squash the notion of it being only spicy," Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll added.

"Spice adds a kick, but Jamaican food is so much more than that. It's totally adaptable."

Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll said Jamaikin' Me Hungry will be run as a social enterprise, which will focus on hiring and providing work experience for people in need of help getting back into employment.

"The restaurant is not just about food, it's also about support."

"We're looking to help people move forward and gain some training along the way to move forward in the community.

"Working in the community, I live it, that's all I've ever known."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll inside the recently renovated 160 King Street building.Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll inside the recently renovated 160 King Street building. (Image: Eileen Eastaugh-Mascoll)

As well as working in various community roles, Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll studied for one year at Lloyd's School of Social Enterprise in Ipswich.

Her aim is for the restaurant to work very closely with charity groups in the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft in order to benefit the wider community.

"I really want Jamaikin' Mi Hungry to be for everyone, so we'd love for as much of the community to get involved."

Ms Eastaugh-Mascoll hopes the Jamaican restaurant will be open to the public by the end of this year.

For more information visit the Jamaikin' Mi Hungry Facebook page.