With Trelawny on the front burner this week, we turn our pots down and go in search of some of the parishs’ best local fare – in between play, of course. Gloria’s, we’re told by our usually reliable J Wray & Nephew sales team, is where ‘de man dem eat a good plate of curried goat’.

And there’s Jennifer too for fruits and vegetables. Without further ado we head to Rock.

IT’S difficult not to marvel at the amazing stretch of road called the North Coast Highway. Cricket World Cup is certainly upon us and Falmouth is no longer that stereotypical sleepy fishing village one sails through en route to Montego Bay. We’re in search of a place called Rock and Aunt Gloria (as she is affectionately called by her customers). Her food, we’re told, will keep you smiling throughout each match – win, lose or draw.

A right turn at the Glistening Waters sign takes us off the highway, another left turn and a follow-the-signs routine takes us to Gloria’s, where men seem to make up the bulk of her clientele. Aunt Gloria is at the back in the kitchen organising a late lunch for DT Brown, who has taken a break from the task of readying the Falmouth hospital for Cricket World Cup. When asked by Thursday Food what he enjoys most at Gloria’s, he readily admits that “it’s the goat”. What is it about the goat we ask? “The spicy flavour,” he shares in between sips of Red Stripe Light.

Gloria smiles and suggests that it is ” the hand and the way the local goat is seasoned. I’ve been cooking for as long as I can remember. In fact, before moving over here I used to live right across the road by that yellow sign. It’s there that I used to cook and sell pork every Friday. From then my customers were mostly men. I used to cook fried chicken for the children too.”

That was then, today at Gloria’s – a location she’s had for the past six to seven years – there’s jerked chicken and pork, baked chicken, oxtail, cow-foot, stew pork, brown stew fish and sweet and sour chicken and her patrons are still predominantly male.

Assisted by Wayne Dixon, Gloria Parris now offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. “My day starts as early as 4:00 am because we have to be at the shop by 5:30 am to start breakfast,” she tells Thursday Food. Breakfast is naturally a full Jamaican sound system with favourites like ackee and saltfish, butter beans or baked beans and saltfish and stew chicken. Breakfast gives way to lunch… and lunch to dinner.

The goat, by the way, does not disappoint. The careful seasoning releases with each mouthful a subtle combination of herbs and spices with just enough pepper to execute a slow-releasing kick, delicate yet definitive. The shelly rice and side order of salad brings the meal to a delightful end.

There’s no dessert at Gloria’s, but further down and across the road there’s Jennifer Blackwood’s cosy fruit, vegetables and ground provision shoppe. It’s scrupulously clean and resembles a gingerbread house.

Eggs come straight from her hens at the side of her house and fresh coconuts are bought daily to quench the throats of the many who pass by. Jennifer goes to market on Mondays and Thursdays and most of the goods are sourced all over Trelawny. The bananas (and they’re absolutely delicious!) are from Maroon Town in St James. Jennifer’s day commences as early as 5:00 am and based on demand can end as late as 9:00 pm.

“It’s been 10 years,” she explains, “and I’ve always tried to please my customers”. Both Gloria and Jennifer anticipate an increase in business as a result of Cricket World Cup. We’d love that for them too and so encourage as many people as possible to enjoy a plate of delicious Jamaican food from Aunt Gloria and pack up with fruits, vegetables and ground provisions from Jennifer. We’re still trying to find somewhere to do tea.