Dear Editor,

Jamaica is blessed with a number of corporate companies which consider it their civic duty to give back to society. None more so than Tastee, Jamaica’s leading patty makers.

This 50-year-old company has given back millions of dollars over the years. One way has been by way of scholarships — leading actress Claudette Pious was one of the first to benefit from this through the Tastee Talent Contest when she was awarded a scholarship to the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts.

In the mid-70s there was the popular patty-eating contest when individuals tried to down as many patties as they could in the allotted time for major prizes. Those of us old enough would recall the famous eater “Father Forsythe”, who easily defeated rivals until he was banned from the competition.

Then in 1979 came Jamaica’s longest-running and most successful talent contest, the Tastee Talent Contest, as it was then called. For 34 unbroken years Tastee spent hundreds of millions of dollars producing this contest across the island, employing scores of people, while unearthing the likes of Beenie Man, Nadine Sutherland, T.O.K, Cobra, Papa San, Brian and Tony Gold, and many others.

Additionally, Tastee gives away hundreds of patties daily to charities, communities and other events.

Still, the company started by Vincent Chang in 1966 continues to not only produce Jamaica’s best patty, but continues to give back to the society.

In this its 50th year, Tastee ought to be saluted.

Delroy Sangster

Stony Hill, St Andrew

dougswifftt@hotmail.com