Continental Baking (National) has listed 11 companies who will be showcased in their sponsored programme ‘Bold Ones’ to recognize outstanding new Jamaican manufacturers. Sunday Finance will feature a different company for each of the next several weeks.

Fancy some curry rotisserie chicken? How about jerk pork ribs?

Those questions are increasingly on the lips of supermarket owners, restaurateurs and other food purveyors in the US Northeast, and indeed, around the country, thanks to the persistently passionate efforts of Mohan Jagnarine and Dennis Hawkins of Spur Tree Spices, whose range of seasonings and condiments is rapidly developing a name among both food cognoscenti and general consumers alike. Both men are former Island Grill alumni, but they each bring a wealth of diverse experiences and a yen for producing quality out of Jamaica’s agricultural bounty to their jobs.

“I always loved Spur Tree,” confesses Jagnarine, in recalling the birth of the business. “It is one of my favourite places. I loved going there to take in the view, and the wonderful atmosphere there, so I thought why not give it this name?”

In fact the roots go even further, to Guyana, where the voluble entrepreneur says he acquired his passion for pepper sauces while learning the ‘art’ from his mother. His journey on the spice trail eventually took him to New York City, with stops at the fabled Golden Krust enterprise as well as to other food service outlets and restaurants in the area (including one run by a cousin, which he helped to establish).

The trail, almost inevitably, one surmises, turned back to Jamaica and towards the end of 2005 into 2006, the pair started making products under the Spur Tree brand. The following year (2007), they were met by Dean as in Hurricane Dean, which decimated agricultural production and consequently made sourcing peppers a very tricky manoeuvre. “Peppers went to $500.00 per pound, “Hawkins recalled. It took all the negotiating skills we could muster and more just to be able to stay in business.”

That turbulent period is now thankfully past them and Spur Tree is working robustly toward a commanding position in the condiments market. Through distributor links, they now have a presence in the NY/NJ/PA area in such retail outlets as Shop-Rite supermarkets and Jetro/Restaurant Depot wholesale Cash & Carries. Key to establishing and retaining these valuable relationships, Jagnarine points out, is in-store demonstrations.

“Persons who have never tasted jerk products or Caribbean are being won over by our line because we are able to present it to them in a manner that they can assimilate yet which retains an authentic Jamaican aesthetic,” Hawkins says. “Beyond Diaspora and ethnic consumers, the more mainstream consumer may see something labelled jerk and immediately think ‘oh, that’s going to be just heat, too much for me’ when we do the demos in-store and they taste the results, invariably they become very excited, and that’s what we’re looking to capitalize and build on.” In addition, Spur Tree has initiated a Marination Training program for Shop Rite staff, driving additional sales in Hot Food, marinated meat/fish products and increasing brand exposure.

Not that Jamaicans at home or abroad are being left out. To bear this out, Hawkins presents a copy of an email “conversation” with a recent convert, a Jamaican living in Orlando Florida. Words like “SUPERIOR” “FANTASTIC” and “IMPRESSIVE” (they are capitalized in the emails) leap out at the reader. Similarly, promotions in local Jamaican supermarkets are yielding positive results.

A professional endorsement comes from Chef Mark of the Courtleigh hotel in Kingston, who has known Jagnarine for several years. “While any chef worth his salt will make his own sauces and seasoning preparations, when I find a product that that is as good as the Spur Tree line is then I’ll buy it, because I’m assured of consistent quality, the yield is good, and it saves on the prep time and labour.”

But, as is the story common to enterprise in Jamaica, the “team” (the two split the admin and promotional functions between them; they have up to eight persons working in processing) faces several challenges, sourcing appropriate machinery at reasonable prices, staying ahead of energy and other running costs and getting timely support from business agencies, though they are quick to point out that there is an improving level of co-ordination and responsiveness from JTI and the like.

But as long as there are persons clamouring for Jamaican and Caribbean flavours, there is a drive to meet that demand. Volumes are up 50% year on year, and this has been the trend since inception. In addition to the Crushed Red pepper, Oxtail Seasoning, Crushed Scotch Bonnet pepper, Pepper Jelly and Curry Seasoning, there plans for a Ginger BBQ Sauce as well as other all-in-one seasonings.”

Thus, on your next restaurant trip in the US, you may well be presented with a Caribbean-fusion menu, replete with scotch bonnet ribs and curried rib eye.