The Jamaica Biscuit Company (JAMBISCO), through a $1 million donation in products, has joined in the bar recovery initiative currently being undertaken by a coalition of beverage companies.

The partnership will see JAMBISCO providing Holiday salted peanuts to bars across the island. This will bolster the efforts of Red Stripe, Pepsi, Celebration Brands, and the Desnoes & Geddes (D&G) Foundation, through its ‘For Our Bars: For Jamaica’ initiative, to pump over $25 million in support to community bars and taverns hampered by closures in the last few months as a result of effects from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Michell Far-Vassell, brand manager of Holiday Snacks and Nuts & Soldanza at JAMBISCO, in commenting on the partnership said that the company was happy to partner in the initiative and work alongside the accompanying brands.

“JAMBISCO understands the challenges being faced by all our customers during this time, therefore we see this as the perfect opportunity to show how much we value and appreciate our partners and want to see them returning to business as usual in short order,” Far-Vassell said.

“We are proud of our association and ongoing partnerships with community bars over the years, so we are happy to participate in this initiative and work alongside stalwart brands,” she said.

The bar recovery initiative, which commenced last Monday, has seen the companies providing direct support to more than 1,800 of the 11,000 plus community bars across the country by way of complimentary products, the provision of masks and sanitisers, and business-relevant training for bartenders and bar operators.

Red Stripe’s Managing Director Luis Prata, in welcoming JAMBISCO aboard the initiative, said there is strength in numbers which will help in driving the collective good of the country.

“We are happy to have JAMBISCO join us in supporting community bars who faced commercial challenges due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Their donation demonstrates the power of collaboration as we are now in an even better position to help community bar owners during this season,” he shared.

In reiterating the need for more companies to join the initiative, Prata noted that “every contribution counts”.

Paramount trading company this week also threw in its support in the form of providing bottling and labelling services for hand sanitiser products that will be distributed to more than 1,800 bar owners across the island.

Vaughn Phang, chief operating officer at Paramount, said “although we are in these trying times with the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that this partnership is quite fitting as it will help bars across Jamaica return to some form of normalcy in the safest way possible”.

Since the Government’s decision to reopen community bars and taverns last month, albeit under restricted guidelines, the promoters of the ‘For Our Bars: For Jamaica’ initiative believe that the support given will go a far way in helping bar owners and their staff to heighten their awareness on the importance of product quality and improved guest engagement. The training to be received will help to foster increased revenues and improve bartender confidence.

In addition, it will help to promote compliance with the health and safety requirements issued by Government, as well as help to rebuild resources, making the bars better equipped for changes in the market and the way people socialise.