2006.01.30: January 30, 2006: Headlines: COS - Jamaica: Restaurants: Hot Sauce: The Business Press, San Bernardino, Ca: Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Jamaica RPCV Diane Johnson-Harris as president
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2006.01.30: January 30, 2006: Headlines: COS - Jamaica: Restaurants: Hot Sauce: The Business Press, San Bernardino, Ca: Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Jamaica RPCV Diane Johnson-Harris as president
Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Jamaica RPCV Diane Johnson-Harris as president
Diane Johnson met Harris while working for the Peace Corps in Jamaica. The couple married and moved to the United States. One evening Harris cooked for his new in-laws. Mary Johnson was so impressed by his marinades she proposed a business venture. Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Diane Johnson-Harris as president , Mary Johnson as vice president and chief financial officer.
Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Jamaica RPCV Diane Johnson-Harris as president
A hot sauce of revenue from Jamaican family recipe
Jan 30, 2006 - The Business Press, San Bernardino, Calif.
Jan. 30--A family recipe handed down from generation to generation for 300 years in Jamaica made its way to America when Mary Johnson, her daughter and son-in-law decided to bottle the product and sell it in stores.
The family pooled savings and loans to invest $80,000 in Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen, bottling Jamaican jerk marinade.
"We're confident we'll pay that back," Johnson said.
"Jerk" is the term used in Jamaica for a marinade and grilling style that tenderizes, spices and smokes beef, poultry, pork, and fish, according to Nanny's Web site.
Chef Cordel "Miguel" Harris, born and raised in Jamaica, learned to cook from his grandmother "who learned to cook from hers and for many generations back," he said.
Harris claims to be a descendant of Nanny of the Maroons, a national hero in Jamaica, who fought the British in the 18th century.
"We couldn't use an image of Nanny because she's depicted on Jamaican currency," Johnson said. The Jamaican $500 bill depicts the freedom fighter.
So bottles of Nanny's marinade feature an image of Harris' 3- year-old daughter doctored to make her look 50 years older.
Harris obtained a culinary degree in Jamaica and worked for Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill in Kingston as a chef for four years.
Diane Johnson met Harris while working for the Peace Corps in Jamaica. The couple married and moved to the United States.
One evening Harris cooked for his new in-laws. Mary Johnson was so impressed by his marinades she proposed a business venture.
Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen opened in January 2004 in Yucaipa with Diane Johnson-Harris as president , Mary Johnson as vice president and chief financial officer.
Nanny's Jamaican Kitchen marinades are sold in stores that include Gerrards in Redlands, Olive Avenue Market in Redlands, The Village Market in San Francisco, Ranch House Meats in Santa Margarita and I.B. Nuts & Fruit, Too in West Plains, Mo.
"If we get any more business we won't be able to handle it," Johnson-Harris said. "We can't stretch ourselves thin."
Nanny's sauces are made of a blend of Caribbean herbs and spices that include fresh vegetables.
Olive Avenue Market, a specialty food carrier, began selling the Jamaican sauces in October. Owner Stephanie Terifay bought four cases, containing 12 bottles each, to start. Now Terifay buys at least eight cases a month.
Nanny's sauces sell for about $6 a bottle.
"People are not as familiar with Jamaican food," Terifay said. "But the response has been fantastic because [Nanny's] will do tastings and cook food for people to try."
Nanny's produces four sauces: Jerk Marinade, mild and spicy; and Jamaican BBQ & Dipping Sauce, mild and spicy.
Harris plans to develop five more sauces that include honey jerk cashews, a dipping sauce and Cordel's Glazing Sauce.
Nanny's works with a co-packer, Pacifica Foods in Corona, to bottle and label its sauces.
Nanny's provides Pacifica Foods with a recipe. Pacifica manufactures, bottles and labels the sauces.
Nanny's operates at Johnson's home in Yucaipa. Johnson and Harris cook at local stores and give out samples.
Johnson and Harris demonstrate and cook for local store owners to convince them that the product will sell. Johnson and Harris go to markets and cook for the owners to convince owners the sauces are products people will buy.
Johnson, Harris and his wife distribute products themselves but need a large distributor.
Some larger stores make demands financially, like slotting fees. "We can't do that because we put our money in the product," Johnson- Harris said. "We need a distributor willing to take a gamble on us so we can leverage ourselves in bigger stores because that's where we'd like to be next."
Johnson-Harris hopes to attract a larger distributor by word-of- mouth and references. Until Nanny's finds a larger distributor, the company will limit its growth.
Jamaican flavors "are a niche market right now, but demographics show it has the potential to reach critical mass like Mexican food did when it went mainstream," Johnson said. "We're hoping to be on the ground floor and ride the elevator up when that happens."
Johnson, formerly a registered nurse, and Harris spend all their time working to expand Nanny's. But Johnson-Harris works full-time as a contract manager with the county of Riverside.
"If the business takes off, I would work from home and be with my 3-year-old daughter everyday," Johnson-Harris said. "That's the dream."
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Story Source: The Business Press, San Bernardino, Ca
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Jamaica; Restaurants; Hot Sauce
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