For the first time, coffee meets pepper in a gourmet coffee jelly, a product that redefines traditional uses of coffee. Camgar Farms, a value-added coffee company, is at the forefront of this innovation, but its creation is rooted in a challenging journey.

Garfield Anthony Clarke, CEO of Camgar Farms, ventured into the coffee jelly business after a turbulent experience with a coffee farm partnership. In December 2018, he overheard a family member discussing the decline of her five-acre coffee farm, which had been neglected due to personal hardships. Eager to help, Clarke proposed a 50-50 partnership, combining her coffee expertise with his administrative skills. By 2019, they formalised the agreement and began efforts to rehabilitate the farm. By 2020, the farm was restored and blooming, but tensions arose when Garfield discovered his partner was secretly selling coffee to Mavis Bank without his knowledge. This led to conflicts, and the partnership dissolved. Garfield had initially envisioned using the farm for broader ventures, such as Airbnb cabins on the property’s scenic mountain location near Wallingford, overlooking the Starlight Hotel, but these plans never materialised.

“One day I was eating some jelly, pepper jelly, and the thought came to mind while trying the pepper jelly there; I decided to try some coffee with it. And I tried it, and then I decided to
Google some things,” Clarke shared with the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

Facing financial obligations and unrealised plans, Clarke brainstormed new ways to repay his loans and re-enter the business while maintaining his 9-to-5 job. However, the process wasn’t as simple as it initially seemed. Coffee, as an ingredient, posed technical challenges. Clarke spent countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with recipes.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” he admitted, attributing some of the hurdles to a lack of chemistry expertise.

Despite the difficulties, he persevered, relying on feedback from people who loved the taste of his samples until his brother suggested reaching out to the Scientific Research Council (SRC), which could assist with the formulation. After several sensory tests, the initial results failed to meet his expectations. The SRC revised the formula multiple times, finally achieving the desired taste on the third attempt. This step marked a turning point in transforming his home-made experiment into a professionally crafted product ready for the market. However, creating a market-ready product came with additional challenges. Clarke faced significant expenses to develop export-ready packaging, including designing appropriate labels. These preparations delayed the first official delivery of his coffee jelly until June 2023, nearly a year after the recipe was finalised. The launch marked the beginning of a successful journey that quickly gained industry recognition. Clarke was nominated for the Observer Food Awards and received accolades from the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce. His products also garnered attention at major events, including his debut showcase at the Red Rose for Gregory. Camgar Farms is now in the process of expanding its product line to include coffee breadfruit punch, coffee pancake syrup, and coffee rum cream.

“The coffee rum cake is coming out shortly as well,” he added.

Camgar Farms has joined Jampro’s Export Max programme and Export Jamaica to explore new exporting opportunities. While the coffee jelly remains the top seller, other products are still gaining exposure. In 2024, the coffee jelly debuted in Bravo Supermarket and Key Foods in Fort Lauderdale after a friend recommended the stores. Samples impressed the owners, leading to its distribution in the US market.

“After careful viewing and all of that area, I decided that I want 90 per cent of my products to be overseas,” Clarke said cheerfully.

Clarke took a hands-on approach to marketing Camgar Farms’ products overseas. In Fort Lauderdale, he partnered with a personal chef, bringing cases of products and conducting in-store samplings, which led to impressive sales as the items quickly sold off the shelves. Locally, Camgar Farms products remain widely available in stores such as General Foods, Hi-Lo, Master Foods, RADA Mart, and others, as well as online through CaribShopper. Still, success is not without challenges, as managing the financial demands of a small business is hard without financial support. The company remains fully compliant with all necessary governing bodies, maintaining up-to-date records and meeting required standards. However, Clarke notes that financing continues to be a persistent issue.

“I have applied for grants more than one time. And I’ve got turned down; why? Because they say I’m not earning X amount per year,” he told the Sunday Finance with disappointment. “I’m saying, how can I earn X amount per year if I don’t have what it takes to earn it? I have to have the money to push. To do promotion, it’s a whole heap of money to promote your goods, to push it.”

He noted the challenges of meeting grant requirements and stated that if he were earning the income levels required, he wouldn’t need to apply in the first place. Despite these hurdles, Camgar Farms remains committed to showcasing the versatility of the world’s best coffee. The company is preparing to launch its newest additions: a coffee syrup, currently awaiting approval from the Bureau of Standards, and a coffee rum cream. He hopes to have both products ready for release before Expo Jamaica in April 2025, adding to Camgar Farms’ growing portfolio of coffee-based creations.

Camgar Farms at Devon House, for International Coffee Day

Camgar Farms booth at the launch for the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival

Garfield Anthony Clarke, CEO of Camgar Farms at Bravo Supermarket in Fort Lauderdale, doing marketing for the product by providing samples of the spicy coffee jelly to passing shoppers.

Camgar Farm’s sweet and spicy gourmet coffee jelly.