Jerk Cook Out is too hot for venue

Thursday, 12 November 2009

By Michael Stringer

IT’S a case of too many cooks spoiling the jerk for a hugely popular South London food festival that has outgrown its venue.

The Jerk Cook Out, which has been held at the Horniman Museum’s gardens in Forest Hill for the last four years, has become too big to handle after more than 20,000 people turned up this year.

The museum has confirmed that it can no longer cope with the event which will now be looking for a new park to host its many chefs, musicians and Caribbean dancers.

A Horniman spokeswoman confirmed: “After four successful years, the Jerk Cook Out has simply outgrown the Horniman.”

This year’s event in August saw the number of visitors double from 11,000 in 2008, up to 22,000 people this year all trying different jerk dishes from barbecues set up around the gardens.

Although it was a success, the sheer number of visitors caused chaos in the park and surrounding areas with limited parking and simply not enough space for everyone.

Michael Abrahams from the Forest Hill Society, who attended this year, said: “I thought it was a wonderful event and I hope it will continue.

“It was very well-natured, but the park was absolutely packed.

“I was there the whole day and by the end it was virtually impossible to walk across the park without walking over people.

“It’s been a very successful event and I hope it goes on to bigger and better things – it is going places but unfortunately that means out of Forest Hill.

“I hope it doesn’t go too far – perhaps Crystal Palace Park could host it; they are used to big events and have the parking facilities to cope, or Blackheath maybe.

“I just hope it stays in South-east London.”

Email: michael.stringer@slp.co.uk

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1 comments on this news item

Posted by : Simon, SE5 | Thursday 19/Nov/2009 | Report this comment

It would a great shame to lose this event and I agree it should stay in South East London Why dont Southwark suggest one of their parks: Dulwich, Burgess or maybe Crystal Palace?

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