Deroy was born in 1967 in nearby Forest Gate as the fifth of seven children to Doreen and Rupert. His parents had moved to Britain from the West Indies in the Fifties and settled in East London where they found jobs at Ford in Dagenham, working hard to make ends meet.

From an early age, Delroy developed a passion for food, introduced to him by his mother. She taught him how to cook using old family recipes. It was only logical that Delroy began his working life as a chef studying for 2 years at Waltham Forest College.

In his teens and early twenties, Delroy worked as a chef for various hotels in Central London before his career took a number of twists and turns which eventually landed him a job in TV.

When Delroy heard about Westfield’s plan to open on his home turf in Stratford he applied for a concession to run a Caribbean food outlet. Like so many things in Delroy’s life he simply followed his instincts, took his fine food to Westfield and convinced them that he is the right man to deliver a professional and cultural offering.

In 2018 he opened a Rhythm Kitchen E17, located in Walthamstow where the family-run restaurant and bar serves freshly prepared traditional food, making all of their marinades by hand to create authentic Caribbean cuisine in the heart of London. It is also home to the largest selection of rum in East London.