A fire in early January 2023 at the Salem, Runaway Bay, St Ann-based L&M Meats and Groceries Limited failed to shatter the resilience of Natalie Chen, who runs the business with her mother but describes herself as “the head cook and bottle washer”, outlining that she is not caught up on titles, but serving customers and doing everything in the supermarket, from cooking in its deli to cashing customers, doing accounts, and even sweeping the floor if necessary.

The fire in question happened on January 6, and like any other person would have been, Chen and her mother Myrna were devastated, but undaunted.

“When the fire happened we decided that we would reopen on February 27, seven weeks later. I had set the date for reopening and I didn’t look back, even though in between that time my dad passed away,” Chen told the Jamaica Observer.

“We came back bigger and better. We are resilient,” she said as she reflected on the company’s push to reopen after the fire. During that time, Chen said her employees worked around the clock to get things back up and ready. Most of the employees, she points out, have been with the company for decades.

But now, as Chen is celebrated as one of the Spirited Women by J Wray and Nephew for the volume of business it does with the distillery, most of which goes to guest houses and villas around St Ann and nearby Trelawny who “want premium products like the various Appleton blends and the other products from the Campari group,” she documents the journey of the company to Caribbean Business Report.

“L&M Meats Limited was incorporated in 1982 and started operations in 1983,” she said as she explained that the L stands for Larry, her mother’s friend who started the business with her, while the M stands for Myrna, her mother’s name.

“But it was really my mother alone from the beginning, because within a few months after starting, Larry changed his mind about the business and migrated,” Chen pointed out. As the name suggested, L&M Meats started out as an entity selling meats to various establishments.

“She opened up the meat shop and was running it for about 10 years. My uncle Nigel, who was her big brother, returned to Jamaica during that time and helped her run the meat shop. What they used to do is sell wholesale meats and sell them to the supermarkets and cookshops in Ocho Rios and so on. That was long before the big shift of buying imported meats and products.”

The delivery vehicles in those days were Russian-made Ladas, a brand which has largely disappeared from Jamaica’s streets in the last 20 years. Chen said as a child, she grew up in the shop, but fate would have her working there, even if she didn’t plan on it. Her uncle Nigel passed, just about the time she was finishing university in the United States, and Chen took a break to help her mother “until things settled down”.

“When I came back it was to work with my mother for about six months before I was to return to university to do an MBA, but it was hard on my mother then, having just lost her brother. One thing led to another and the six months turned into a longer period because I felt I had to spend time helping my mother. That six months is now 30 years,” Chen said.

During that time, L&M Meats grew. Things Chen got acquainted with in college were introduced in the company, which began to evolve from its roots of being a meat shop.

“I think the marketplace has evolved. When I just returned home, there were not a lot of imports and the variety was not wide. Now the market has completely changed. If people see something on cable, they want it right away, and we have to respond.”

But things have not always been rosy. A recession in 2009, triggered by the financial collapse of the US-based securities company Lehman Brothers, hit the business hard when tourism numbers fell, and the business pivoted to offer more products. A deli was added and the business expanded in physical size as it took over other sections of the small complex on which it is located as they went all out to satisfy consumer demand.

“I had a deli in my supermarket way before the other supermarkets started doing it. Our deli is very popular, our food sells off each day.” In the deli, Myrna can be seen daily, not slowing down despite her age.

“She is the big boss. Everybody knows her. She is the eyes and ears of L&M and spends a lot of time to ensure that the quality of the food in the restaurant is high and consistent. She is 78 going on 40 and is the face of L&M Meats and Groceries.” The deli is called Caribbean Pantry.

“When we started Caribbean Pantry in the supermarket, was because there were very limited places to eat in Runaway Bay. That caused vertical integration in the operation because we supply our meats and vegetables.

But the company is being recognised for more. Chen said it expanded into distributing alcoholic beverages after getting encouragement to do so by her best friend, who has since passed away, presenting another devastating period for her.

“When life was knocking me down, I could have just stayed down for the count, but that’s not my nature. My mom has always taught us to work hard. We are fighters. We are spirited. I don’t know the word ‘can’t’, that’s the worst word you can tell me. For me it means go harder,” she said.