Rainforest Caribbean, Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records earn 2026 Food Awards Lifetime Achievement, Chairman’s honours
Rainforest Caribbean and Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records will this evening, at the 27th staging of the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards, be lauded as the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Chairman’s Award, respectively.
Rainforest Caribbean, founded in 1997 by Brian Jardim and supported today by a stellar leadership team, including his three sons, Maxwell, Benjamin and Zakary, has become synonymous with innovation, sustainability, and regional economic growth.
Nearly three decades later, the company stands as one of the Caribbean’s most respected vertically integrated food companies, employing more than 1,000 team members across Jamaica, Belize, St Lucia, Barbados, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and exporting to over 30 countries.
Guided by the simple yet powerful mantra “Eat good, Do Good”, Rainforest has built a legacy of giving back to the communities it operates in.
From left: Usain Bolt Tracks and Records co-founder Gary Matalon, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport Olivia Grange and Olympian Usain Bolt make it a photo op. (Photo courtesy of Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records)
From contributing more than $40 million in donations to Cornwall Regional Hospital, supporting the improvement of western Jamaica’s health sector, to adopting the Comprehensive Clinic in Kingston, and strengthening nutritional support through school-feeding programmes islandwide, Rainforest’s impact extends well beyond the marketplace.
Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records was conceptualised 15 years ago, at the pinnacle of the athletic phenom’s global ascent by the KLE Group. The partnership between the brand and the man was as natural and powerful alignment as Bolt’s personality, pride in Jamaica, and international impact matched seamlessly the company’s vision of creating a hospitality brand rooted in Jamaican excellence and cultural authenticity.
Today, with CEO of Downsound Entertainment, producer of Reggae Sumfest Joseph Bogdanovich, as a major investor and majority shareholder and a board chaired by Barrington Daley with members Gary Matalon, David Shirley, Drum Drummond, Nugent Walker and Stephen Greig, the company retains its focus of creating a dynamic space where sports, entertainment, food, and culture coexist seamlessly.
The company’s resilience has been tested by many challenges over its 15-year history but none more devastating than the fire that destroyed the Montego Bay location while the restaurant was supporting Hurricane Melissa’s relief efforts.
Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records represents more than commercial success. It symbolises the enduring power of a Jamaican dream realised through talent, determination, and authenticity.
The glittering Table Talk Food Awards, aptly referenced as the region’s Oscars of food, takes place today on the East Lawns of King’s House and these two entities will lead the list of awardees to take centre stage.
Part proceeds of this event will provide annual scholarships and bursaries to students of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Technology, Jamaica.
