Sweetie Confectionery CEO Patria-Kaye Aarons to launch Jamaican Candy as it's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

An interesting story popped up while Googling “Sweets Jamaica” on CVM News and Weather Presenter and CEO of Sweetie Confectionery Patria-Kaye Aarons who is now making her own Jamaican-themed candy with her own company called Sweetie Confectionery as stated in “The 'sweet' story behind Patria-Kaye Aarons”, Published Monday April 7, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

The candy maker apparently plans to commercially launch her Jamaican fruit flavoured Candy in May 2014. One thing’s for sure; I’m adding “Sweetie Confectionery” and “Patria-Kaye Aarons” to my already growing watch list in Google Alerts that includes Kim Kardashian and Chromebooks as explained in my Geezam blog article entitled “Google Alerts Diamond in the Rough coming to Google+ to deliver Technology News”.

I’m am fascinated by this story, as it fulfills the prophecy which I spoke and suggests what I’ve always said is true; many of the foods we import can be manufactured here in Jamaica, candy included, as we do have the manufacturing capability to make our own foods as stated in my blog article entitled “Jamaica's Basic Item Food Bill mostly from 1st World Countries - Buy Jamaican Build Jamaica made from Imported Raw Materials in containers that says Made in Jamaica”.

Apparently the CVM News and Weather Presenter realized that foreign imported candy, mostly made in Latin America, simply did not reflect the island flavor, as made evident by her god-daughter’s desire for Jamaican Candy that had Jamaican fruit flavours.

While she’s at it, I hope she also makes a series of Natural Toothpaste to cure all those kids of cavities she’ll be creating along the way as explained in my blog article entitled “Going back to Mother Earth - How to make Natural Toothpaste and Listerine and save money and your sensitive teeth”.

Teaching kids about good dental hygiene is important, especially as so many sweets are out there to rot their little teeth as per the article “Tips to help kids form healthy dental habits”, Published Wednesday February 5, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Sweetie Confectionery’s Patria-Kaye Aarons – Sweet Tooth Natural Candy made from Vacuum Pyrolysis

Takes one hell of a leap of faith to leave a cushy job as a Sponsorship and Communications Manager at GraceKennedy to go through the process of making an original a product as Caribbean Fruit flavoured candy that, according to her, is made from REAL Fruit flavours, not HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup), quote: “The flavours are not synthetic. They are natural Oils extracted from the fruits themselves, and we had to do a lot of taste testing and experimentation to find a supplier that could get it right and to make sure that the flavours were as close to the fruit as possible”.

Indeed, Sweetie Confectionary may actually be the only Candy maker in Jamaica that's all Jamaican. This based on the flavours on deck:

1.      Custard apple

2.      Guava

3.      Guinep

4.      Jackfruit

5.      Jimbilin/carambola

6.      June plum

7.      Lychee

8.      Mango

9.      Naseberry

10.  Otaheiti apple

11.  Pomegranate

12.  Soursop

13.  Tamarind

Extraction must have been done using a process similar to Vacuum Pyrolysis as described in my blog article entitled “How to upgrade your Solar Desalinator to a Solar Cooker and make a Solar Foundry for Vacuum Pyrolysis”. This process, also done in a vacuum in a low- Temperature, low pressure Evaporator, extracts the volatile Essential Oils of each fruit being extracted and concentrates them using some kind of natural stabilizer.

This process can also be used to extract Essential Oils to make Perfumes and it can even be done using Solar power using a Fresnel Lens, much in the same way it extracts Bamboo Vinegar during the making of Bamboo Charcoal as explained in my blog article entitled “Jamaica's Bamboo Charcoal exports stalled by lack of Bamboo Furnaces – How to build a Fresnel Lens Solar Powered Bamboo Furnace and produce Activated Charcoal byproduct”.

They are then made into the various shapes and sizes as per specification of the candy maker, with care to preserve the flavor of the fruit without ruining it with too much heat or addition of artificial flavours or even Aspartame, an artificial sugar which even the ant’s dislike!

The packaging is clearly Jamaican thanks to OGM's Marketing Department, with sweets draped in Jamaican flags and sold in 1/2 pound and 1 pound bags similarly emblazoned with our country's colours. She must have gotten a considerable deal of assistance in the financing department, as pension funds don't last too long.

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Scientific Research Centre as described in my blog article entitled “JN Foundation and JNSBL launches Jamaica's first Crowdfunding website, i Support Jamaica - Local Crowdfunding to the rescue of Jamaican Innovators so you don't have to be The Lone Ranger”. The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship apparently also chipped in to help her along to transition from idea-in-my-kitchen to actual product.

Her showing at the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association/Jamaica Export Association expo was a manufacturing feat made possible thanks to the help from Paul Lue-Yen of Miel, Currently Jamaica's only other Candy manufacturer.

If you remember the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association/Jamaica Export Association expo, then you should also remember the introduction of the 1 litre Red Stripe Beer that's made using Cassava as a replacement for the Hops as reported in the article “RED STRIPE LAUNCHES 1 LITRE BOTTLE”, published Thursday, April 10, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

So folks, it is indeed possible to manufacture in Jamaica and make money, proof of which we’ll see next month in May 2014 when her company Sweetie Confectionery goes live.

Food Manufacturing in Jamaica – Electronics and other products are also possible

We don’t need to import the raw materials though, the only thing about the story I didn’t like. Most of the flavouring could be found and made in Jamaica at Caribbean Flavours, whose recent IPO (Initial Public offer) was oversubscribed on the JSE (Junior Stock Exchange) as stated in the article “Caribbean Flavours IPO oversubscribed”, published Friday, September 27, 2013, The Jamaica Observer.

Then again, the quantity of original fruit to use in an Evaporator to extract the Essential Oils lacking, as we’re just beginning to revive the idea of growing Fruit Trees via the National Fruit Tree Crop Project as explained in my blog article entitled “Breadfruit and Fruit Tree Revival coming under RADA's National Fruit-Tree Crop Project - Red Stripe and Agro-Investment Corporation an example of how Agriculture benefits both Farmer and GOJ”.

Even Red Stripe getting the Government of Jamaica to give them land for a test run to grow Cassava as a replacement for hops in Beer faced challenges as stated in my blog article entitled “Red Stripe and Agro-Investment Corporation signs lease Agreement on 36 acres of Land - Farmers benefit from Cassava’s Day in the Sun as we catch up with Africa's by September 2014”.

This is also true of even small electronics items such as Solar Panels and Electronics components as explained in my blog article entitled “No news on progress of the Rare Earth Pilot Plant at JBI - Cuba-Jamaica CFL Project Heralds manufacturing of LED's, Li-Ion Batteries and Sapphire Screens in Jamaica”.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) Bulbs and even Cellphones and Tablets can also be manufactured at low enough cost for export as explained in my blog article entitled “Haiti's Surtab SA and Handxom SA making 7-inch Tablet to supply Digicel - Pengelley's Tablets need Cheap Electricity for Plants to make LED, Li-Ion Batteries and Solar Panels”.

Computer Repair Hobby – Sweetie Confectionery Sweet Success suggests possible bright future

As for financing, that’s now a breeze, as once you have a working prototype of your concept, you can raise funding via I Support Jamaica, a Crowdfunding venture run by the JN Foundation and JNSBL as described in my blog article entitled “JN Foundation and JNSBL launches Jamaica's first Crowdfunding website, i Support Jamaica - Local Crowdfunding to the rescue of Jamaican Innovators so you don't have to be The Lone Ranger”.

As for me, I’m just doing my thing as a Computer Repair Specialist with a side interest in CCTV Camera Installation and also installation of Telecom Networks. Not really a business, just my interests to keep some money in my pocket, as I’m not completely interested in being a Businessman, merely needing the money to pay rent and survive.  

But who knows, maybe my “hobby” in Computer Repair and Installation work (CCTV, Alarms, Networking) will eventually blossom into something worthwhile.

So Sweetie Confectionary joins a long list of entrepreneurs who are making uniquely Jamaican Products. As usual funding is always a hurdle, as stated by CEO of Sweetie Confectionery Patria-Kaye Aarons, quote: “Every entrepreneur you talk to will tell you that financing is a huge issue for them. It was easier for me to get a car loan than it was to get a loan to finance my business”.

In the meantime, this sweet story about CVM News and Weather Presenter and CEO of Sweetie Confectionery Patria-Kaye Aarons is blogworthy enough for me to write home about on my blog and track via Google Alerts!