JTI to Launch ‘Flavours of Jamaica’ Campaign in London

‘Flavours of Jamaica,’ a campaign to highlight the quality and unique taste of Jamaican food and drinks to the European market, will be launched at the International Food and Drink Expo in London England, from March 15 to 18. The campaign, developed by Jamaica’s chief investment and promotion agency, Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), will be launched through its London-based office.
It will target major distributors and retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, and will include a trade seminar in Birmingham to facilitate business networking among Jamaican foods and drinks processors, wholesalers, and independent grocers.
According to the JTI, consumer trade statistics point to growing interest among Europeans for authentic Jamaican food and drink products and European Regional Manager, Laurence Jones, has said that the Flavours of Jamaica campaign will continue to facilitate this growth.
He noted further that the trade opportunities that will be generated by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Europe and CARICOM, will soon allow Jamaican foods and drinks to be imported into Europe duty free.
“It is clear that opportunities abound for authentic Jamaican food and drinks as consumers’ tastes are growing more sophisticated, creating opportunities for more and better-quality products. The value of our products and services lies not only in the price but in the ‘quality uniqueness’ of the design, materials, presentation, packaging and branding. We believe that we can make Brand Jamaica synonymous with quality worldwide. We are working to give our products and services a distinct global relevance and an enduring appeal, second to none,” Mr. Jones added.
According to the JTI European Regional Manager, while Caribbean food has traditionally been treated as a niche market, aimed primarily at the West Indian community, this is now changing as the appeal is growing among a wider audience.
Jamaican jerk sauces are particularly popular, he said, with well known brands such Walkerswood and the new ‘Reggae Reggae’ jerk brand by Levi Roots, moving into the mainstream. In fact, the Reggae Reggae brand has generated