IN response to a growing demand for ethnic cuisine in the United Kingdom, the Jamaican High Commission and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) office in that country have collaborated on their first Meet the Buyer event at the high commission on Thursday, April 7, 2022.

As part of its mandate, the Jamaican High Commission in the UK is committed to promoting Jamaican businesses and helping them to grow their presence in the UK market. On that note, the foreign affairs and foreign trade outpost said the event will allow retailers and shop owners the unique opportunity to meet the faces behind authentic Jamaican brands.

“The consumer has a real appetite for authentic and premium products, and this seminal event gives buyers unique access directly to those producers who offer authenticity and innovation from Jamaica,” the high commission outlined.

According to market intelligence agency Mintel, the UK market has seen an upsurge in ‘world food’ consumption. Jamaican foods, in particular, have seen accelerated growth within the UK market, based on recent studies by the agency, and the trend is expected to continue.

Meet the Buyer will showcase some of the very best Jamaican businesses based in the UK, including luxury food brand Marshall and Brown and London-based importer and distributor of Caribbean food and drinks brand Michaels Caribbean Imports. Other participants include Jamaica-based producers of a wide range of food brands such as Tijule, Sankhard Company, Pure Chocolate, Temper Tantrum, Benlar Foods, and the Jamaican Tea Company.

Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK Seth George Ramocan noted that the event will feature Jamaican companies that are “creating a more authentic ethnic food experience for customers”.

For his part, Dr Carlton Brown, founder of Marshall and Brown, stated: “As a luxury Jamaican brand, we know that retailers sometimes find it challenging to differentiate between authentic Jamaican products that they place on their supermarket shelves and assimilated versions. This event, which is supported by and underpinned by the Jamaican High Commission and Jampro, is important because it provides retailers with a unique opportunity to access authentic products directly with those buyers that support and work directly with Jamaica. We are proud to be one of the key exhibitors at this very important event for the Jamaican Diaspora.”

For owner of Benlar Foods, Craslyn Benjamin, the event presents an opportunity to her company as it embarks on geographic expansion.

“As we position for international trade and brand development through exports … we see a big opportunity here to launch the brand not just for the ethic market but through mainstream and possibly crossing over into other markets,” she told Jamaica Observer.