MOGUL in the Making nominee Patria Kaye Aarons has introduced paradise plum sweets to her line of local fruit-flavoured sweeties.

The new flavour, which has been off Jamaican shelves for years, will be the second offering from the fast-growing candy-making company Sweetie Confectionery.

The company currently exports products to London, England, and the US Virgin Islands of St Croix, St Thomas and St John. Previous flavours offered by the company included june plum, mango, guava, jackfruit and pomegranate.

“Ask anyone born before 1980 about their favourite childhood memories and the name Paradise Plum is sure to come up,” the CEO stated in explaining why she decided to add the new flavour.

She added that during her research of the product, many persons shared anecdotes of buying paradise plums as children, with sugar sprinkled on top. Her research encouraged the idea of reintroducing the candy to young children.

“Sweetie is returning paradise plum to its glory days. I want children and their grandparents to have a shared memory. The generations are so different but this is one place where there can be a convergence,” she stated.

The new product, packaged in a bold bandana and green design by local advertising agency Krass Images, will be showcased in supermarkets islandwide as of next month. Aarons is confident that she has captured the original flavour of the paradise plum fruit in her product and is also identifying with the Jamaican culture with the wrappings.

“From the moment they see that iconic red and orange on the outside with the trademark sugar grains clinging to the sides and that white sour middle… it will take people back,” she stated.

“I can’t wait to step into a supermarket and see not one, but two Sweetie bags on the candy aisle. It feels good to know that I’m giving Jamaicans a local option.”

Distribution has already begun for the 100 retail locations where Sweetie’s fruit candy flavours can now be found, while the first Sweetie Paradise Plum shipment leaves for the UK on Friday.

The nine-month-old company, having successfully launched in both Jamaica and London, has set its sights on tripling its footprint across the Caribbean region, ahead of the start of the winter tourist season in December.

Sweetie Confectionery is being distributed in some five retail outlets in St Croix and has shipped almost 700 pounds of fruit-flavoured candies earlier this month for distribution to all three islands.

Meanwhile, Aarons has already begun work on the next set of products in the line. She stated that the upcoming products have been the most challenging formulations to date, and hopes to reveal the new product at the Jamaica Manufacturing Association/Jamaica Exporters Association Expo next year.