In just four months, Beezy’s Hot Jamaican pepper products has gone from a birthday surprise to a growing pepper product in the United States. Created by Jamaican entrepreneur Elizabeth Bonny, the business is now preparing to expand operations to Jamaica, where Bonny believes the brand truly belongs.

“It all started in July for my husband’s 60th birthday last year. I wanted something different to give away — no shot glasses, no coasters. I wanted something unique,” Bonny explained in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

That something unique turned out to be a homemade pepper sauce. With no prior experience in sauce-making, Bonny turned to Google, experimenting with different ingredients and flavours in her kitchen.

“I started making it in my kitchen, blending everything myself. The blender eventually gave up — it just couldn’t keep up with the demand,” she said with a laugh.

She admitted to the Sunday Finance that she had no idea why she chose pepper of all things but the first product, a yellow pepper sauce, quickly became a hit among family and friends. The demand pushed Bonny to take things a step further, but she then realised she needed a larger space for production. Her husband, Stefan, owned a warehouse in Florida, which they decided to convert into a manufacturing space. Despite starting operations in Florida, Bonny always envisioned bringing the business home to Jamaica.

“It is Jamaican. I am Jamaican. I want to come home and bring my stuff home,” she told the Sunday Finance.

Currently, Beezy’s products are sold exclusively online in the US, but Bonny is actively working to introduce the brand to the Jamaican market. The business recently achieved a major milestone by getting trademarked and is now pursuing FDA approval in the States. The next step is meeting the requirements of Jamaica’s Bureau of Standards and shifting production to Jamaica.

Starting a pepper-based business isn’t without its challenges. Bonny shared that one of the most significant hurdles has been sourcing enough peppers, especially during cold spells in Florida, when pepper crops don’t thrive. She is also contemplating bringing the manufacturing to Jamaica instead but asserts having her own pepper farm locally is not a part of the plan as she wants to support local pepper farmers. Beezy’s currently offers four pepper-based products: the yellow pepper sauce, Scotch Bonnet pepper oil — Bonny’s take on chilli oil — curry butter, and pepper butter, which she calls the fan favourite.

“Most pepper butters have a mustard base. Mine doesn’t. It’s completely different,” Bonny proudly stated. “I’ve converted so many non-pepper lovers with that butter. People who would normally say ‘mi nuh innah pepper’ absolutely love it.”

For Bonny, 2025 is all about expansion, starting with Jamaica before looking into expanding in other Caribbean countries. As Beezy’s Hot Jamaican Pepper Products prepares to enter the Jamaican market, Bonny remains focused on perfecting her brand’s unique offerings and staying true to her Jamaican roots.