AS a young girl, Racquel Walker was eyeing a number of career options.

But the idea of carrying on a legacy created by her parents on the outskirts of the south-western end of National Heroes’ Circle in Kingston, selling roasted yams, corn and boiled crabs at “Crab Ground”, was so compelling that she and her sisters “Munchie” and “Mitzie” could not deviate.

Walker is now 46 years old and has spent two and a half decades, alongside her siblings, maintaining her parents’ legacy which started long before she was born in 1976.

“My specialty is roast yam, salt fish, boil corn and roast corn. This line of business was passed down from my father Keith Walker who died 19 years ago. Even though I have been selling out here for 25 years, I have been out here for more than that. This is what sent us to school and my father was out here long before me exist inna belly.

“I have brothers and sisters who are older than I am and this is what sent everybody to school, including myself. We had other options but our parents started something from foundation and they passed away, and we did not want the legacy to die out. Both parents did it together. Mommy used to focus on the crabs while daddy used to focus on the yam, salt fish and corn.

“When daddy used to come pick us up from school, he would take us right out here until he is ready and then everybody would go home same time in the night. Growing up out here, you sit and you look and so you eventually develop a passion. I have been enjoying it all these years,” she told the Jamaica Observer, adding that a steady stream of customers has ensured that business remains good for the family.

Her sister Munchie, who started to play a hands-on role in the business 20 years ago, drew pleasure from the thought that most of her experiences at Crab Ground since she was a child — playing with caterpillars inside Heroes’ Circle, formerly Racecourse, and now to be putting smiles on many faces through her cooking — have been fulfilling.

She has consistently been the source of happiness for soup and crab lovers, and through the business, financed college for one of her daughters and is now gearing up to fund tertiary studies for her younger daughter.

“I remember back in the days when we used to swing pon the ‘Tarzan tree’, jump fence and catch water. Dem time deh caterpillar nuff inna Racecourse, so we catch dem and put dem inna bottle fi turn butterfly. I have been selling out here for 20 years. I enjoy it a lot because a it school mi children like how it schooled us. Through it all, I have always loved to see the customers happy. We have customers from all over, the good the bad and the indifferent, but they are our customers.”

The Sunday Observer learned that the family business selling crabs and other mouth-watering food isn’t exclusive to Walker and her siblings. Over 34 years, Alice has built lifelong relationships with her customers, many of whom have relocated outside of Jamaica but still call their relatives to grab crabs from her to send overseas.

The grandmother of her children started the business and ended up reeling Alice in to help look after her grandchildren. On a weekly basis Alice is assisted by her daughter to keep her crab, soup and corn lovers happy.

“The journey has been fine. It was passed down to me by my daughter’s grandmother who said I should come out here come sell to look after them, and when mi come out it was going good. I have eight children and everybody deh pon dem own now. A this mi use and send dem go school.

“A lot of my customers are abroad but when dem want a load of crabs, dem tell dem family to go to Alice for stuff. Some people know me because I am on YouTube with a white man and my picture is at the airport so everybody come looking for Alice,” she told the Observer, obviously proud.

Vendor “Daygirl” is also a part of a family legacy at Crab Ground. Her grandmother created a stall from which she sold crabs, roasted yams and soup. The venture was handed down to her mother “Miss Babsy”.

“I am 57 years old and I am out here all my life. My grandmother was doing this and it passed down to my mother, and now me. I do boiled corn, roast corn and crab. The business was better back then than now. Since COVID-19 we lost a lot of business but we are bouncing back now. I wake by 3:15 am every morning and reach downtown by the latest 4:00am,” she said.