... Exotic fruits will add more flavours

CHIEF EXECUTIVE officer of Sweetie Confectionery, PatriaKaye Aarons, said that, so far, they have used available Jamaican fruits to make her line of hard candy, but with the addition of the lollipop line, they will be delving deeper into the use of exotic fruits, thereby coming up with a number of firsts.

“For the first time ever, we will be offering a jackfruit lollipop to Jamaica. We’re not stopping there, we’ll also offer a June plum lollipop, and even a mango lollipop, and that for us is very exciting,” she said.

Aarons said that coming out of the misfortune of the production problems, her company is being forced to grow, and to do so exponentially. However, she said that while expansion was on the cards it was not programmed for right now. “We did not expect that level of growth, certainly not for another five years,” Aarons said.

ANGEL INVESTORS

The chief executive also declined to reveal the level of investment. However, she said she will be looking for angel investors to assist with the retrofitting of the space, machine acquisition and working capital, noting that her company has managed to make a good business case, given the untapped potential of the Caribbean market.

“The Caribbean is an underserved market, in that everyone is being made to consume things like blue raspberry and sour watermelon instead of our Caribbean flavours. I am determined to make people appreciate the Caribbean flavours that they already know and love,” Aarons said.

She is not limiting the exploitation of the Caribbean market to just inhabitants. Rather, Aarons says she wants to tug at that little piece of the Caribbean in the heart of every visitor.

“It is not just for Caribbean people but also Caribbean people at heart. There are those places where we have tourists arriving, not just in Jamaica but across the wider Caribbean. Those visitors want to leave with something that is authentic to this region. I want to put that option in their hands,” Aarons said.

She also hopes to go for more markets in the food service industry, recognising that there is an opportunity every time persons dine at a Caribbean restaurant.

“Nowhere in the world should we go to a Caribbean restaurant and when you get your bill what you get is some foreign mint or hard candy with that bill. There is an opportunity there in the food service industry and we will be aggressively pursuing that,” she said.

Sweetie Confectionery Limited has been in operation for just over two years.