George’s First Jerk Catering
Surrey St, Croydon CR0
Just stand near George’s First Jerk Catering stall at Surrey Street market in Croydon, South London, and you can feel the excitement people have for proprietor George Whatley’s food. Around lunchtime, the place is a busy reserve of locals and those who work in the nearby area.
Located at the southern point of the market, opposite a seller of vibrant flowers, George hustles fervently under a blue and yellow tarpaulin beginning at 10 am. Whatever the daily choices — fried fish, jerk chicken or pork, curry goat, curried prawns — anyone who arrives later than 2:30pm can expect to leave disappointed. “When it gone, it gone!” George exclaims. “Whether it’s rainy or sunny – the food done same way!”
Instead of its proper name, frequent guests simply refer to the place as “George’s” or “Jerk George.”
With tenure of 15 years to his credit George playfully boasts he can cook any dish blind! He leaves it to chance what meals he is going to serve up on any given day, something George suggests leaves an element of surprise for his customers. “You can come every day, and get something completely different.”
