Tortuga Rum Cake (TRC) Limited is marking its 35th anniversary with an expanded portfolio and ever-growing market presence, recently announcing that the Jamaican Rum Fruit Cake, its latest offering, is generating strong interest among consumers in the Jamaican Diaspora.

TRC, a subsidiary of the Jamaica Producers (JP) Group, has shared that the company has already started to receive orders for cakes from Miami and New York, noting also that they have recently delivered their first shipment of cakes.

Marcus Simmonds, managing director of TRC, noted that the aim of such a move is to provide connection and nostalgia for people in the Diaspora, especially as the Yuletide season approaches.

“The key aim is to connect with the Jamaican Diaspora, with locals; for people to see that Tortuga can resonate with the Jamaican community. Tortuga’s goal is to try to recreate this kind of nostalgic feeling,” he said.

In a release on Thursday, the JP group has expressed that they expect the cakes to do well in the Diaspora.

“JP Group expects a strong take-up of the Tortuga’s Jamaican Rum Fruit Cake from the Diaspora, following robust marketing in both markets which includes extensive sampling,” said Tara Goulbourne, group marketing and business development manager at JP Tropical Group Ltd.

“We anticipate that this new Jamaican Rum Fruit Cake will see us engaging at a retail level with 200,000 new consumers,” she stated.

Outside of its intention to reach into Caribbean markets through Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, the company also has its sight set on exporting the product to UK and Canada.

Noting that they employ a unique strategy of incorporating specific ingredients and flavours unique to the countries in which their cakes are sold, they highlighted the Mexican Vanilla for Mexico; the Mamajuana Rum Cake which was made specifically for the Dominican Republic; The Great Cake made for Barbados; The Key Lime made for Florida and the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Rum Cake made for Jamaica

“Tortuga’s operations extend across the Caribbean. In addition to Jamaica, Tortuga boasts a manufacturing plant in the Cayman Islands; a distribution facility in Florida and a commercial presence in several markets, including Barbados. TRC has traditionally focused on the travel retail market across the Caribbean, including most major air and cruise ports, principal hotel and gift locations and over 100 cruise ships,” the release stated.

“Tortuga is famous for honouring its deep Caribbean heritage and conveying a taste of the islands with its world-famous rum cakes. It is a true celebration of Jamaica’s rich, rum-soaked fruits, the fragrant aroma of special spices and the pride and heritage of the company’s trusted family recipe,” Goulbourne added.

Manufactured at JP Tropical Food’s world-class factory facility in Kingston, TRC has said that they will be offering a quality product which can be gifted to family and friends for the holiday season.

-Kellaray Miles