One of Surrey Street market’s most famous chefs will be back in business next week after making a speedy recovery from a brain aneurism.

Jerk chicken cook George Whatle was told he would be off his market stall for a year after he needed two life-saving operations following a stroke in February.

But the 45-year-old will be cooking up a storm on Tuesday as he returns to part-time work part four months ahead of schedule.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to coming back, although it won’t be the same.

“I’m part blind in my left eye and that’s a lifetime thing, no glasses or anything can help me.

“So far I’m getting used to it, I’ve had a bit of a trial test run and it’s ok.

“It’ll be hard but I’ve been looking forward to going back for a long while.

“I’m getting bored sitting down not doing anything - this is my job and what I do “I like to be down there for the people.”

Mr Whatle, whose jerk chicken and curry goat have been a fixture of the market for seven years, said he hoped to reveal a couple of surprise recipes he had been working on during his recuperation.

Surrey Street Market Inspector Fiona Woodcock said all the traders were delighted to have him back.

She said: “We’ve really missed him being in Surrey Street - he’s a real character.

“He brings people all the way from the home office with his food, and that’s quite a trek.

“Delivery drivers work their route out around George’s lunchtime trade, so you can see he’s a really popular guy.”

The Croydon Guardian ran a campaign to find Mr Whatle after he disappeared from the market in 2007.

Customers who longed for the return of his dishes managed to track him down and successfully begged him to come back to his old pitch.