Nina Johnson let slip the word lavender and immediately got the attention of Thursday Food , whose own obsession stems from once living in Grasse, France, whilst hers began during her student years at the Henley Business School in England. “It was in the countryside, about an hour outside London, so I would notice the pretty purple wild lavender blossoms all the time. I even noticed them in planter boxes when I walked in posh parts of London,” she shared.

She would in 2018, upon graduation, join her family on a trip to a small French village called Carnac, Brittany, home to her mother’s aunt Jeanie Barakat, who has lived there for decades with her French husband. There were wild flowers everywhere; among them were the same gentle purple lavender blossoms once again. “I would always pick one of the purple flowers and keep it in my purse, and to my surprise the smell of the lavender would linger and give me a nice surprise when I was rummaging around for a piece of chewing gum.

Fast-forward one year and I was in Los Angeles to visit both my cousin, who is an aspiring actress, and my brother who is studying film and culinary-interest… well, we all went out for a stroll and I saw a place offering a lavender lemonade cooler. It blew me away, and I was sold.”

There’d be yet another encounter. This time, later that evening, at a fancy cocktail bar: Her beloved lavender was on the menu mixed with some gin, club soda and lime. She recollects that it was the first time she could actually enjoy gin. It soon became her favourite cocktail.

Lavender remained top of mind on returning to Jamaica. It would however prove futile asking for it to be included in her beverages. She switched to rum and coconut water, but missed her lavender.

“Then I had a great surprise,” she continued. “I went to a specialty ice-cream shop, and they had a honey lavender flavour. Boom! The purple flower had followed me home. This was perhaps a sign that she and lavender were inextricably linked.

It was Johnson’s 21-year-old brother Luke, however, who tapped into his culinary training and began making the syrup. She implored him to use some lavender bulbs left over from her trip to France to recreate the lavender ice cream she had found in Jamaica.

He nailed it! It was delicious! The syrup he developed to flavour and colour the ice cream was created in a cup of gin, sparkling water and lemon, and the idea was organically born. “I started bringing it with me everywhere. Because of course it’s the only thing I like in my mixed drinks.”

It proved the perfect marketing tool. Everyone who saw Johnson add it to her drink wanted their own. She knew there was a demand and that she could supply the need.

With lavender lemonade and lavender ice pops in the mix courtesy of Jude, her baby brother [all hands on deck] lavender production is in full throttle.

Johnson has a myriad other flavours to roll out. Top of the list is the rose flavour in time for the festive season, along of course with the good old lavender. And many more to come in the new year. “I never intended to begin a syrup business but it fell in my lap and I couldn’t say no,” she added.

No idle boast! Her eyes are also on the environment hence why she insisted on glass bottles, all of which are not only fully returnable, but also look fab with some cut flowers in them. “It’s been an interesting challenge to source a consistent supply of the right bottles. But I’m excited to continue the journey and explore loads of different flavours,” she opined.

Bottles of Sirop in Fusions are available at CPJ Market, 71 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 6. IG: @siropinfusions