THE rain had little effect on PAN 2017 Grand Finals inside the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew last Sunday.

The occasion saw exciting performances from Christopher Martin, Agent Sasco and Sizzla. D’Major and Teflon also made an appearance.

Promoted by CB Foods, PAN 2017 is an annual competition saluting the contributions of the pan chicken vendors across the island, and to help in positioning them to become more successful entrepreneurs. Twenty-eight finalists, including two wild cards, were culled from two regional elimination rounds.

Manchester’s Nicola Brown finished in first place at Regional 1 in St Elizabeth in August, and claimed third place at the PAN 2017 Grand Finals on Sunday. She took home $75,000 and one year’s supply of CB Chicken courtesy of CB Foods, $30,000 from National Baking Company and a business loan from Jamaican National Small Business Loan (JNSBL).

Kingston and St Andrew representative Jamie Martin was named second -place winner at the PAN Grand Finals, winning $150,000 and a year’s supply of CB Chicken courtesy of CB Foods, $70,000 from National Baking Company, and a business loan from JNSBL. Martin finished in first place for the parish at PAN Regional 2 in Portland last month.

For the second consecutive year, the PAN Grand Champion trophy went back to St Ann as Eric Beaver triumphed over his competitors. Beaver, who was an assistant to the 2016 Grand Finals third-place winner Cassius Gayle, finished in second place at Regional 2 in Portland.

For first place, Beaver won $300,000 and a year’s supply of CB Chicken from CB Foods, $200,000 and a year’s supply of bread from National Baking Company, and a $100,000 business grant from Jamaica National Small Business Loans.

In the Miracle Tomato Sauce competition, St. Ann’s Juney Raffington finished in first place, while Beaver finished second. Kingston & St Andrew’s wild card Desrick Hamilton was the third-place winner.