Salada launches new flavoured coffee products

Coffee company Salada Foods Jamaica Limited, producer of the Jamaica Mountain Peak brand, is entering the flavoured coffee market. General Manager Tamii Brown unveiled three flavours — Cinnameg, a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg flavours; Coconut Cappuccino, and Caramel — at the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday, saying the new product line is aimed at young business professionals looking for variety in their coffee consumption. Brown, who was recently named general manager of Salada Foods, said the company will continue its focus on creating desirable products. “We need to create products that are geared towards our market and the only way we can do that is through frequent engagement with our consumers and target markets,” she said in her maiden address to shareholders of the instant coffee processing company, giving a nod to the recent use of focus groups in developing the line of flavoured coffees. A film clip showed the Salada team visiting Taylor Hall at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies. The company has sought in the past to engage with university students as a means of product promotion, though sampling. Speaking to the Financial Gleaner on the sidelines of the meeting, Brown said student engagement through study night sessions has been an important initiative in Salada’s marketing efforts, but that having them as part of product development was breaking new ground. “This has been the first time that we directly included these tertiary students in our product development processes. The candid feedback was refreshing and is being used to innovate and craft segments of our portfolio going forward,” she said. Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Jamaica National Children’s Home Receives $500,000 From Salada Foods To Help Rebuild After The Fire

Kingston, Jamaica: The Jamaica National Children’s Home (JNCH) has received $500,000 from Salada Foods Jamaica to assist with its rebuilding efforts following a fire last August. The home housed 41 boys and girls between ages seven and 18. In expressing gratitude for the donation, Director of the JNCH, Nadeen Waugh said the funds will help to rebuild the home. She said the goal is to start reconstruction this year, so the children can resettle into a more comfortable facility. No timeline has been given for the completion, which is estimated to cost approximately $150 million.  “We want to say a big thank you to Salada and we are so happy that corporate Jamaica is still supporting and still remembers us after six months,” Waugh said. General Manager at Salada Foods, Dianna Blake-Bennett said the donation is part of Salada’s continued efforts to rise up and support the care and development of the nation’s youth.

Salada Helps Jebb Memorial Basic School Stay Connected With $1.5mil Donation

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Salada Foods Jamaica on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 distributed $1.5 million in donation to the Jebb Memorial Basic School, in a substantial effort to help teachers and students stay connected and better navigate the challenges in the transition from virtual to face-to face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish Town Road-based Basic School received 45 tablets to support students’ online learning, hand washing sink, sanitizer dispensers and three laptops for teachers to aid the learning process. Internet connectivity at the school is also included in Salada’s donation. The coffee and tea manufacturer has also committed to assist Jamaica Save the Children, the charitable organization that owns the school with the payment of salaries for the teachers at Jebb Memorial for an initial period of six months. 

Salada Foods Brews New Hope For Paraplegic Student Tiffany Thomas

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: The tumultuous journey for Tiffany Thomas to secure a starter home came to a joyous end courtesy of Salada Foods Jamaica in partnership with Food For The Poor Jamaica (FFTP) on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. The 21-year-old paraplegic student has a resilient spirit that came to the fore at the 2019 launch of the FFTP 5K. The details of her living conditions shocked many in attendance. “So my living conditions before today, I was always homeless. From I was 14 until when I was 17 that I actually got my first house to live in. It wasn’t a lot at the time but in the past few years it has been deteriorating,” the new homeowner, Tiffany Thomas said at the handover. “The situation got continually worse. Each time it rains it floods; the whole place would get wet, my books, my school bag, and my bed. I didn’t have a bathroom, the same place I eat that’s where I use my bathroom.” “I had to just try my best to not think about it too much and just live life until one of my classmates offered to come to my house. I was too ashamed to let them come, but they insisted. They came and they didn’t like it at all. They went to my principal at Trench Town Polytechnic College — Dr. Dosseth Edwards-Watson — and they spoke to her.  That’s how Food for the Poor came on board,” Thomas detailed. Over a year later, her dreams of a safe place to lay her head were achieved through Salada Foods. Tamii Brown, Commercial and Corporate Affairs Manager at Salada Foods recalled the day she heard about Thomas’ plight. “We were at the Food for the Poor 5K launch in 2019 and as a partner with FFP Jamaica, we were immediately moved when Tiffany spoke of her circumstances. Her sunny personality didn’t fit her circumstances; it was just a beautiful sight to behold. Salada went to the launch with one intention, but we were immediately moved to activate our Salada mantra: ‘Rise Up and Support Jamaica’.” The call to her general manager, Dianna Blake Bennett, was met with swift support. “I was told about Tiffany and that she really needed some help and we have done it for this young lady who needs to be lifted up,” Blake Bennett said. She shared that the opportunity to hand over the company’s gift gave her goose pimples. “It is important, and more so especially now, that as corporate citizens we look out for those of us that are vulnerable that really and truly need help.” Salada Foods contributed US$3,800 for the home. The corporate entity also gifted Tiffany with kitchen appliances and products as well as a sustainable vegetable garden in partnership with Hardware and Lumber to improve her food security. Land Matters It took over one year to find approved land and it took less than 24 hours to build and semi-outfit her new home. Her house by great fortune is located in the same community, which has supported her for years and at the end of the same road where she resides. Kivette Silvera, executive director of Food for the Poor said Tiffany’s situation showcases the need for land. “Food For The Poor has always said there is a land issue when we have so many individuals who are in need, but then there is no land. When you think about it, somebody who is poor does not necessarily have the access to the property. In Tiffany’s situation, we were able to work with the councilors and the Ministry to ensure that they provided us with the necessary land documents so we were able to build this house. Silvera continued: “This is very significant for us because many people would say I have applied to Food for the Poor for a house, but if they do not have the land, unfortunately, we can’t help them. So, this is very significant that we were able to get the house built for Tiffany through the sponsorship of Salada.” The ecstatic, overwhelmed, and happy could hardly hold back tears as the keys to her dwelling were handed over. “I finally have the opportunity to just not get wet and have a bathroom and have a shower. I’m happy for the people here that come to show that Jamaica is really a positive, fun-loving place. People out there are caring,” she said. “I want people to know that life goes on no matter how bad your living or family condition is, anything at all — life goes on. You just have to do what you have to do until better days come along.”

Salada Making Good On Its Promise To Coffee Farmers

Less than 90 days after publicly pledging to purchase 25,000 boxes of coffee cherries from local Blue Mountain coffee farmers, Salada Foods Jamaica has already reached the 60 per cent complete mark on its commitment. Salada Foods Jamaica, makers of Jamaica Mountain Peak coffee, has purchased 15,011 boxes of coffee cherries or 60 per cent of its pledge as of the first week in January 2019. The coffee cherries are purchased at $4,000 a box and together with the local processing from cherries to green beans, represents a $120 million injection into the industry to date. “We now have three main coffee cherry buying parishes St Andrew, St Thomas and Portland with approximately 13 depots in operation,” said Dianna Blake-Bennett, General Manager of Salada Foods Jamaica. Among the 13 depots are those operated by Stoneleigh Coffee Processors Limited with which Salada Foods has entered into a partnership to process cherries to green beans. “The depots are now temporarily branded Salada Coffee Station to ensure farmers know who is buying their coffee,” added Blake-Bennett. Salada has also engaged Christopher Gentles, an agronomist and former Director-General of the Coffee Industry Board, as the consultant and lead on the project. The famous Jamaican coffee company started purchasing coffee cherries in November last year and bought 747 boxes of cherries from 200 farmers at the Mount Airy, Red Light District and Mount James depots on its first night. According to Coffee Farmer Nigel Whitton, the investment has been one of the best things that happened to the Coffee Farmers in 2018. “We nearly did not see Christmas,” noted Whitton. “Right in the time when the coffee peak the entities lock down the factories on us. The coffee [cherries] in the bush dropping off the trees. Then Salada announced that they were going to purchase cherries. Listen, man sleep at bush that night just to get the coffee [cherries] because they couldn’t believe at this stage someone really come to bail us out. We really appreciate Salada.” Source: Loop