Marketed as a game-changer in food preparation, start-up manufacturer Sim’s Seasonings is looking to take its one of a kind liquid pimento product worldwide following a full roll-out in the local market.

“Our product is one-of-a-kind in the sense that it is not a sauce, condiment or marinade, it is sheer pimento which can be used as the perfect alternative to traditional pimento seeds that continues to be a nuisance for some in the dining experience. The product’s versatility opens the door to so many new possibilities in the kitchen —allowing users to incorporate pimento in a number of recipes that call for other spices, such as porridge and Jamaican chocolate tea. It also elevates the flavor of other cherished Jamaican dishes such as curry goat, jerk chicken/pork, rice and peas, stewed peas and so much more, “CEO of Sims Seasoning Shanya Francis said, while sharing details of the product with the Jamaica Observer recently.

The small business which first started out as a test of creativity by her father later morphed into a full-time registered entity after Francis realised the product’s potential as well as its niche market characteristics, and seriously decided to pilot its development.

“The business started out as one of my dad’s home projects. As a master innovator who is always feeding his creativity, he created this liquid pimento and asked me to try it, after which, I took the prospect seriously and began formalising the business and its operations by registering with the Companies Office of Jamaica and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica,” she said.

The Kitson Town, St Catherine-based family-owned-and-operated manufacturing enterprise is now managed by a small team of three made up of Francis, who leads operations along with her dad, the ‘Sim’ in Sim’s, who sources raw materials, and her mom, who assists with marketing and sales.

After some two years of operation, the product, following its recent debut to market, is now stocked by the popular Loshusan supermarket in Barbican and Fesco Supermarket in Braeton, Portmore, with plans underway to offset a much larger roll-out.

Upbeat about the company’s steady growth momentum, the CEO said that steps are also being taken to widen the company’s distribution network and to expand its current production facilities.

“Within the next three to five years we plan to execute on this objective starting with the rental of a much larger manufacturing and warehousing space,” Francis noted.

“As a newly launched product, I’m very encouraged by the steady growth we have been seeing and as the CEO I’m even happier that the business continues to turn a profit, a lot of which is being driven by our participation in a number of trade show and exhibitions and our recently added retail sales,” Francis said.

The company’s management, already basking in positive reviews from a long list of customers who continue to support the product’s growth, said efforts are being made to further unlock new markets as they push to share the goodness of this one of a kind product with a larger customer base — promising the intense flavour of raw, natural, organic and authentic Jamaican seasoning in every meal.

“Another part of our short-term goal is to be able to export the product to our diaspora members in the US and Canada,” she said.

Backed by a first-place win at the 2024 Vincent HoSang UWI venture competition, Francis who is also a part time student at the regional institution, believes the company having been a standout participant that was awarded for its ingenuity and proper record keeping, is destined for much more greatness.

“Aside from our overseas growth ambitions, in the coming months, we also want to grow our market share locally as we roll out the product across the island. This, while we continue to work towards building out the product line to feature new spice and seasoning products that are equally as innovative as the liquid pimento,” she said.

CEO of Sim’s Seasonings Shanya Francis showcasing a bottle of liquid pimento manufactured by her company.

A proud Francis poses with the liquid pimento product during its first day on the shelves at Loshusan Supermarket.

Francis (left) shares in a photo with Kim Mair, CEO of JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation and a long-standing partner of the UWI venture competition in which her company was a participant.

Francis and a happy customer showcase the product following a purchase at the UWI Vincent Hosang Venture Competition.

Francis shares lens time with Simone Hosang, benefactor of last year’s staging of the UWI Vincent Hosang Venture Competition, at which her company copped a number of first-place awards.