JUS Chill Foods, a breadfruit snack producer, is recovering from the impact of Hurricane Beryl but remains optimistic about its prospects.

Founded just three years ago by Javion Blake, a breadfruit enthusiast who grew up in Hanover, who noticed the abundance of breadfruit trees in rural areas, with many of the fruits going to waste, took the opportunity to create something special from this gluten-free superfood. Teaming up with his friend Christopher Gordon, now the managing director of Jus Chill Foods, they both developed a snack that has captured the hearts of health-conscious consumers.

“We never knew people would love these health-conscious snacks this much,” said Gordon during an interview with the Jamaica Observer at the Christmas in July event at the National Arena in Kingston on Thursday.

With Blake living abroad, Gordon oversaw the export of raw breadfruits to his business partner, who processed them into chips that were sold online. As the business grew, Blake decided to relocate the manufacturing process to Jamaica, where Gordon would supervise production personally. Now based in Portmore, the company still obtains its raw materials from Hanover, where the breadfruit is carefully selected and prepared for production. To establish the local production line, Gordon collaborated with local farmers and acquired the necessary equipment. The initial investment for the small manufacturing business was approximately $3 million, which was financed entirely through personal savings and loans, a risky venture that brought the friends together as they pooled their resources. Although they lacked a background in food production, Gordon and his team, as mechanical engineers, invested time in learning and adapting. According to Gordon, the competition was fierce, and gatekeepers hindered their progress. However, after obtaining the necessary certifications, they became fully operational. Their breadfruit chips, previously sold exclusively online through their website, expanded to Amazon, generating over a million dollars in revenue, with 25 per cent of sales coming from Amazon alone. Notably, the owners successfully sold their product online without providing sampling products to potential customers, attributing their success to their innovative, sustainable packaging, which sparked curiosity and enticed customers to try the product.

“Once they saw it, they were like, ‘This looks like an overseas product,’ but it’s actually a true Jamaican product. They just wanted to support it and try it,” said Gordon.

They gradually entered the local market in January this year, and, after just seven months, Jus Chill has successfully transitioned into 11 local stores and some supermarkets, solely through word of mouth. The company has also expanded its product line to include breadfruit pancakes and muffin mixes. The motivation behind these transitions was a desire to grow and diversify after perfecting the art of making chips. With more flavours set to be introduced, they decided it was time to explore new opportunities and increase their offerings.

The business, which had just begun to focus heavily on the local market, anticipated that 2024 would be one of its best years. However, Hurricane Beryl dashed those plans, causing losses of over 2,000 breadfruits from suppliers. This resulted in a loss of potential revenue from 9,000 packs of chips, valued at $2.9 million.

“Breadfruits just fell off the trees, and we had no power, so we couldn’t produce. And even though they fell off, we couldn’t salvage them,” he explained to Sunday Finance.

Electricity for the production facility was restored just a few days before this interview, and the company has been working around the clock since then to maintain a consistent supply.

“We are reaching out to more suppliers to secure the remaining breadfruits and keep our product lines going. We’re determined to avoid raising our prices due to the shortage,” Gordon shared.

Despite the setbacks, Gordon emphasised the business’ desire to increase its local presence and expand, and is committed to achieving that goal.