NORWOOD, St James — Although he has been in the pan chicken business for a little over a year, Richard Buchanan said his greatest satisfaction was when he finished in second place at last month’s PAN 2019 Region 2 Competitors Cook-off in Black River.

The Norwood, St James, resident was over the moon when his name was announced as the runner-up to winner Jeana Francis Brown from Mount Salem. Both have advanced to the grand final of PAN 2019, which takes place on Sunday, October 27, at Grizzly’s Plantation in St Ann.

“I felt on top of the world. I was jumping around and praising God because I felt good. I felt like I had achieved something big, and it was a sense of satisfaction that swept me,” he explained.

Buchanan entered the cooking competition to see how he would fare against the 26 other competitors.

“I wanted to showcase my skills doing pan chicken. The experience was wonderful, and I like the fact that I got to compete among several persons,” said Buchanan.

Buchanan entered the pan chicken business last year as an assistant to a veteran pan chicken vendor. He then decided to venture out on his own.

“Entering the CB PAN chicken event taught me a lot which I will implement into my business. I learnt different ways of preparing pan chicken, presentation and time management skills. I also learnt how to use other products to enhance the preparation of the chicken,” Buchanan added.

Buchanan’s pan chicken business is located on the main road in the inner-city community of Norwood. His family is heavily dependent on the earnings from his livelihood.

“My four children are all grown up now, however my stepchildren benefit from the business. It’s our sole means of income,” he said.

Buchanan also operates a catering business from his home where he provides meals on a daily basis to businesses. He hopes to open a restaurant from which he can operate his pan chicken business.

“If I won at the grand finals, I would use the money to open a restaurant where I can do both my catering and prepare pan chicken,” Buchanan said.

He shared his winning strategy for his pan chicken.

“The chicken has to be tender, and you slow-cook it on the grill. I also blend up a lot of seasoning which I use on the chicken.”