KINGSTON, Jamaica — Out of sheer curiosity, 65-year-old Lorna Kerr and her daughter, 28-year-old Annmarica Irving, decided to attend the second PAN Workshop, held Sunday, July 27, at the Montego Bay Community College in St James.

They could not foresee that their lives would change at the end of the workshop. Both emerged as first-place winners for their parish of Westmoreland.

Choking back tears, Kerr, a longtime market vendor, was stunned when her name was announced.

“This is so exciting. We just entered for the fun of it; we never expected to win, but I am so grateful,” said Kerr.

Her daughter Irving, who studied food at HEART Trust/NTA and assisted her mother during the competition, was equally surprised.

“My mother entered a PAN chicken competition at church last year, and she came fourth, and then she entered again this year, and she won. We entered the competition with no expectations, so this is like a big blessing,” said Irving.

For Kerr, it has been a lifelong love of food, which led her to open her own food establishment. However, she closed it late last year due to violence in the community where it was located.

“Cooking is what I have been doing all my life. It is something that I enjoy doing. After I won a pan chicken competition at church earlier this year, I was asked if I wanted to enter the CB PAN chicken competition. To be honest, I never knew about it before, so I agreed to enter,” said Kerr, who hails from the community of St Leonards in Bethel Town.

She added, “The overall experience was a good one. I found it exciting to be around so many strangers with one goal: to make it to the PAN finals. I was nervous at first, and then to hear that we won—wow, it was like the icing on the cake.”

The chemistry between mother and daughter is undeniable.

“When she was growing up, I showed her the things to do in the kitchen. We were always preparing food together, so when this opportunity came for me to enter the competition and they said I needed to have an assistant, I chose her right away, and she was a big part of me becoming a winner,” Kerr disclosed.

Now with their eyes on the PAN 2025 grand finals set for Sunday, August 31 at Jamaica College, Kerr is already preparing her “secret weapon” for the judges.

“Yes, I’m working on something big, something that’s going to wow them. I have my eyes on the prize,” she added with a smile.

For CB Foods, the stories of Kerr and Irving reflect the true power of PAN, not just as a competition, but as a platform that changes lives, builds communities and celebrates Jamaica’s food culture.

Nicole Hall, senior commercial marketing manager at CB Foods, emphasised this: “PAN is so much more than fire, smoke and flavour. It’s about creating opportunities for Jamaicans who have a passion for food and giving them a stage to shine. Stories like Lorna’s and Annmarica’s remind us why CB Foods continues to invest in PAN, because it uplifts families, builds confidence and connects communities across Jamaica.”