Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanette Marcelle

Hi Jeanette, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Sure! Lol! I will skip through all the not-so-glamorous stuff and jump straight into my journey as a traveling chef, exploring various cuisines and cultures worldwide. Along the way, I developed a deep passion for not just cooking, but also for creating unique dining experiences as well as products. As I gained more experience and honed my skills, I realized I wanted to settle down and share my culinary creations with my local community. However, it was not until the global pandemic collectively sent me to my room that I had to sit with my dreams and plans that I had been ignoring for the past 2-decades while I was building my travel chef portfolio.

The silver lining of the pandemic is that I was able to transition from being an unemployed traveling chef to a small business owner. I could dust off my recipe book and start my own product line by combining the flavors and techniques I had learned during my travels. It wasn’t easy at first – there were many challenges in setting up a business during a global pandemic, luckily there were many individuals who were in a similar situation like myself and fresh ingredients were readily available as well as the skills and knowledge I needed to get my business out of my head and into the farmer’s market.

Over the last four years, my product line has gained popularity for its innovative combinations. I continued to innovate, incorporating traditional and modern elements into my products, always striving to offer something memorable to my customers.

Today, I’m proud to say that my small business has flourished. I’ve built a loyal clientele who appreciate the journey that brought me here and continue to support my culinary adventures. It’s been a rewarding path from traveling chef to small business owner, and I look forward to the future as I continue to grow and evolve in the agri-food space.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Oh dear! There were many, where should I start? Starting and running a small business, especially in the food industry, is rarely a smooth road, add to that being a black female, being unknown, not having enough capital, and dealing with a global pandemic we might be here all day, so let me give you the main ones.

1. Financial Challenges: Securing funding to start the business was a significant hurdle. From obtaining loans to managing initial cash flow, financial stability was and still is crucial.

2. Finding the Right Location was not so much a problem: But getting the necessary health certificates, food licenses, and meeting all the regulations for an agri-food business was expensive and time-consuming.

3. Building a Team: Hiring and retaining skilled staff who shared my passion and vision was another challenge. Finding individuals who are committed to delivering high-quality service is crucial for the success of the business. I still have not found all suitable team members but it is starting to come together as the universe intended.

4. Navigating Regulations: Dealing with regulatory requirements and obtaining permits, licenses, and certifications required time and effort. Compliance with health and safety standards was non-negotiable but added to the complexity, not to mention that the pandemic changed the game – I now needed a separate handwashing sick outside, a temperate gun, more PPE, and the list went on. Thankfully we have made it out of the pandemic in good health and sound mind. Now we a navigating international regulations as the company jumped on the export train.

5. Uncertainty and Adaptation: The uncertain duration of the pandemic meant continually adapting business strategies to meet changing regulations and customer expectations while dealing with my turmoil.

6. Disruption of Supply Chains: 25 % of my business inputs come from outside of my country. There were disruptions in the supply chain, affecting the availability of ingredients and increasing costs.

7. Marketing and Branding: Building a brand and attracting customers in a competitive market requires effective marketing strategies. Establishing an online presence and leveraging social media was essential but required ongoing effort and investment.

Despite these challenges, the experience also brought resilience and innovation. It pushed me to explore new avenues such as meal kits, and backyard food boxes in addition to the product line. Ultimately, navigating these obstacles strengthened my business acumen and reinforced my commitment to providing exceptional culinary experiences despite the circumstances.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

Hi! I am Chef Marcelle.

The Chef – Jeanette Roxanne Marlene Marcelle has been working in culinary/hospitality for over two decades. How I got my start in the industry is more or less the same way most of the greats start. From dishwasher to server, then to culinary school, and as they say “the rest is history” Lol!

Cook trainee to Chef de Cuisine – I did my mandatory industry training at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre; as much as I loved it here, I knew I wanted more than just going to work and cooking the same thing over and over, so when the opportunity presented itself to work on Cruise ship, I dived in head first. After three years with a luxury cruise liner, it was time to return to Trinidad & Tobago and sharpen more than just my knife skills. While reading for my BA (Hons) in Human Resources Management I started my first official business – a catering company; which was very successful for several years. I also did my MBA in marketing with electives in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. After my business studies; another opportunity took me to Barbados as a kitchen manager, the platinum or the Riviera of the Caribbean as Barbados is fondly called working at the world’s first and original luxury beach club. Then it was off to the French West Indies at a small gastronomy restaurant in the capital of Martinique as Chef de Cuisine.

Chef to Agri-processor – What do you do when a pandemic obviates your career as a traveling chef? First, you have yourself a good soul-cleansing cry and then you dust off your recipe book and get down to creating employment for yourself and your community while creating clean and unique products from Indigenous ingredients such as cocoa, coconut, tamarind, Scorpion pepper, and West Indies herbs. My first product was the chocolate tamarind steak sauce, which placed third in the Cocoa Research Centre’s innovative chocolate cuisine challenge. Since I started with chocolate Trinidad & Tobago produces some of the world’s finest grade of cocoa beans. “Trinitario is one of the most flavourful cocoa beans you will ever find; it was only natural that the main ingredient in most of my products feature the “food of the Gods.”

Handmade by Jeanette Company – started as a creative expression by Chef Marcelle, while living and working in Barbados. However, it was not until the pandemic collectively sent us to our rooms and, that I had to rethink and reshape my career as a traveling chef. I was out of a job, but I had a wealth of knowledge and experience about cuisine from around the world, not to mention that there was a surplus of indigenous ingredients available. Thus, our line of clean granola, unique sauces, and spice rubs was born. Four years later, we have 14 SKUs sold in Trinidad and Tobago, St. Luica, the USA, and Canada. Soon we will be in at least three more countries.

I have had many proud moments in my 40-plus years on this earth, but I am extremely proud of what I have been able to do in the last four years. I have been able to build a brand from scratch amid turmoil and despair. Now as I navigate the ongoing financial crisis – high inflation and so on we forge ahead into new markets and expansion of the brand. I am proud of my strength and my resilience which is what set me apart from others. I always see the glass as half-full.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?

1. This is a 1.8 trillion-dollar market. Consumers are going to keep spending more on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep, and mindfulness. the increasing consciousness among individuals across the globe toward the importance of consuming a healthy diet and nutritious food is escalating the demand for healthy food and cereal/snack bar items, which is one of the most prominent consumer trends in the health and wellness market across the globe. People are reading a lot more labels; we think this will continue.

2. Reducing sugar intake. Millennials and Gez Z consumers are looking for more sustainable eating, and spending more on health and wellness. Then we have the gourmet shops that want products that are locally made, but unique and free of preservatives, and then we have the foodies who are fed up with the same and want to try products that are unique such as a slice of king fish cooked in a chocolate mushroom sauce. Then there are the niche distributors who looking for products to sell shops in boutique hotels in St Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, Barbados, and Jamaica.

3. The present demand for healthy and sustainable foods is encouraging the development of new replacements even in traditional products. Combining locally grown button mushrooms with Trinidad & Tobago’s world-famous trinitario cocoa powder and creating a bespoke artisanal product that can be sold regionally and internationally is what food innovation is. Growing a food brand takes time, dedication, and a strategic approach. Market indicators have shown that by focusing on our unique value proposition, building a strong brand identity, and engaging with our audience, we can increase our brand’s visibility and attract more loyal customers, in the next 5-10 years, the brand is poised to scale tremendously.

Pricing:

• TTD $50
• USD $16.96
• USD $9.97
• USD $12.00
• USD $6.00

Contact Info:

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