Robert Hoehener is a special man, down-to-earth, charming and engaging. His genuine passion, appreciation and love of good food and wine inspired the formation of his wonderful Arosa Group of Companies in Drax Hall Estate, St Ann. As I entered this unassuming space, established many years ago, a literal gourmet treasure chest was revealed. I felt like one of the children who visited Willy Wonka’s chocolate emporium in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, giddy with excitement. At other times I felt transported back to my beloved Europe.

A few weeks ago, I was invited by the fabulous foodie and ex-restaurateur, Natascha Kessler, who is assistant sales and marketing manager at Arosa, to tag alongside top pastry whizzes Colin Hylton and Nicole Shirley for a pastry tasting. Thinking that all I would be doing was sampling sweet treats from their extensive product line, I was in for a pleasant surprise. We were greeted upon arrival by John Lucantoni, sales and marketing manager at Arosa, and then introduced to the wonderful owner himself, Robert Hoehener.

When we sat down we were offered a welcome drink of a crisp and refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling apple juice. We found it absolutely refreshing after our journey from Kingston, and we wondered out loud if this was available locally; it was a thrill to learn it would soon be on the market. This was followed by another new, exciting product, a sparkling Pinot Grigio. Hoteliers and restaurateurs, call up Arosa now, as these will surely be a hit with your clientele.

Robert explained to us that the products he offered were specially tailored for the tropics. Most of the brands he sells are of the highest standard and come out of Europe mainly. Professional kitchens take note, a lot of these pastry products in particular save on both labour and food costs. Turnaround time is faster while consistency of taste is maintained, which is a major plus.

John, being an ex-chef himself and having worked in many kitchens internationally, could attest to these products having used them himself. To bring the point closer to home, Freddy Daswald of Almond Tree Restaurant in Ocho Rios came by with tempting offerings created in his kitchen from using Arosa products and his Midas touch, but before we could sample, we got down to business.

First, John took us on a tour of the warehouse to view the product line. He generously opened packages for us so we could feel, smell and see the texture and quality of the products for ourselves. I was impressed. An example of what we saw was the purest of cocoa powders and dark, milk and white chocolate couverture, the basis of epic chocolate treats. Some companies just want you to take their word for it, but these guys are the real deal. With food costs on the rise yet wanting to sustain quality and value for money, chefs need good partnerships with their suppliers to remain in the game.

We returned to the main office, where Robert was busy preparing baguettes with ham and tomatoes for our lunch. The bread was just right, crusty on the outside and chewy in the middle. If I closed my eyes I felt as if I was in Paris at my favourite boulangerie. With our lunch we drank a 2002 Brouilly, Chateau de la Chaize, grand vin de Beaujolais.

Trust me, I was getting very comfortable and it got even better! Robert smokes his own sausages and marlin. We got to try the latter and it blew my mind. It is drier and less moist than what you normally find. He seasons it with his special blend of herbs and spices, then it takes four hours in a cold smoked process. The flavour is concentrated and not too salty; the purity of the marlin comes through but is not overwhelming. Besides, how can you not trust a company whose staff eats the very food it sells? This was the clincher for me and I made a mental note to start ordering some goodies.

Our savoury taste buds sated, it was time for testing the sweet stuff. First, we were offered Freddy’s delicious coconut and hazelnut macaroons (pure bliss) then sampled his apple tart, made from European apple filling which is less sweet than the American variety, more tart and clean on the palate – if you want to take it to another level add a little kirsch, the famous cherry eau de vie (water of life), which is a fabulous addition to fine patisserie, and also available at Arosa (I will come back to this later).

Next came the flan which had a great firm consistency, not too wobbly or stiff, neither too raw nor eggy-tasting as some can be. It was perfect with the caramel sauce. This was followed by the mousses. The cappuccino-flavoured one had an intense coffee flavour with no bitter aftertaste, a sure hit with java lovers. The lemon was bright and acidic, refreshing and melts on your tongue, a very cleansing feeling in the mouth. We tried it with a strawberry topping, delicious, yet with the raspberry topping it was even more amazing.

We sampled the lemon mousse for a second time, but frozen.

The change in texture was interesting, very light, almost like frozen yoghurt. Colin was raving about the melon-flavoured one which I am hoping to try one day soon.

Robert offered us Swiss-style double espressos which packed a mean punch. It is Swiss in nature because of the addition of the above- mentioned kirsch, a Swiss classic and one of the types of spirits on offer on Arosa’s extensive and carefully researched wine list. All of the major wine countries are represented and red, white, Champagne and other sparkling varieties are featured. Premium cognacs, armagnacs and brandies round off the inventory. We were privileged to sample a 1974 Ferte de Partnenay Bas Armagnac with its fragrant nose and amber liquid, one of the finest of its kind in the world. We also tried the brandy Gran Ducale Riserva 20 Anni Il Grappolo from Italy which is perfect for ladies with its soft lingering toffee notes, a superb digestif.

Well, dear readers, true to my word, armed with both beverage and food lists, I placed an order to Arosa the following day, and you better believe it will be a regular habit for me. Outside of the hotel and restaurant industry, regular customers can go directly to Arosa and purchase high quality meats, cheeses, sausages, breads, fine wines, stemware, and other kitchen essentials for the gourmand.

Thank you so much, Robert, John and Natascha, for a wonderful day and allowing me to take a peek into your wonderful company. Thanks also to Freddy for being so generous with his delightful patisserie. I am also sending lots of respect to Colin and Nicole who get out there and source the best ingredients for their prize-winning desserts. It was an educational and fun trip for me. I had no idea some of my preferred European brands were available on the island until my discovery of Arosa, so from now on with the exception of one or two things, I no longer need to struggle back with the foodie gems I can’t live without. Instead, I will be using the valuable space in my luggage for other stuff like fine art and clothes.

Bon Appetit!

Jacqui Sinclair is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef/food stylist & hotelier. She has worked in the world of food photography and film in Europe. A bon vivant, she is passionate about sharing her food secrets with enthusiastic home cooks.