Georgette Blackburn creates tasty pop-up experience
Published:Thursday | August 31, 2023 | 12:09 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Georgette Blackburn has always been passionate about food. After leaving her parents’ home, she ignited a new flame the moment she stepped into her own kitchen. But she knew that she was on to something magical when her plastic containers began disappearing when friends and family members came over for meals. With the great reviews, she decided to create a pop-up experience dedicated to honouring flavour in the most delightful way.
She tells Food, “Essentially, my friends boosted me to make the turn in this direction. I’m a self-taught Food Network, TikTok and YouTube scholar. My parents are great cooks, so I would’ve harnessed the basics and passion from them. In March of this year, I launched my very first pop-up by pasta dish. It went so well and that definitely motivated me to continue.”
Among her signature offerings are the chicken and Bad Dawg Alfredo pasta, honey barbecued wings, as well as the teriyaki chicken and salmon bowls. “Curried chicken has always been a hit for me, both eating and preparing. Then I explored different ways of making the dish, like deboned curry chicken in coconut sauce, or our traditional way of doing it by cutting the pieces and sautéing.”
Initially, pricing her dishes was a challenge. Her research to solve this mystery came up futile, with little to no information on the matter. So, she whipped her own costings by asking other experienced chefs in the field and receiving useful tips from a friend who is in the restaurant business.
At the heart of it all, however, she enjoys how versatile food can be. Dishes, she says, can present different flavour profiles based on the chef. “We can get the same ingredients to make a dish and the outcome is different. I love that about food. It’s a way of expressing my love for others. If I love you, I’ll feed you.”
This Saturday, September 2, she is planning to tease and please palate with authentic flavour. “At my next pop-up, there will be barbecued pig’s tail with garlic mashed potato, coconut jasmine rice and coleslaw. Pig’s tail doesn’t only need to go in stew peas or soup, so I’m displaying how versatile and succulent it can be. So it’s a tasty tribute to pork lovers on Saturday.”
Cooking from home, for now, she offers delivery at an additional cost in Kingston and Portmore. It would be a dream come true to own a restaurant, but she believes in catering on a more intimate scale. “That way, I don’t compromise on quality. And quality is everything to the experience.”
Her ultimate goal is to get others excited about the food at the very first bite. “I am excited to prepare the dishes they eat. I’m praying my passion for cooking really develops into a household name. Where people can get more than just fried chicken and curry gravy. [I am] hoping to bring more variety to the table,” she revealed.