How Opal Rowe turned a craving right into a thriving enterprise January 5, 2023

Like most Jamaicans, I really like patties – typically for a snack, or for lunch. One specific night a couple of years in the past I got here house and wished to eat one thing that was actually comforting however not heavy. It occurred to me that I used to be craving a patty.

However not an everyday one that you simply’d discover within the regular locations on-the-go. I may style it in my mouth, however within the second I couldn’t work out which flavour I used to be considering of. I Googled “connoisseur patties” and couldn’t discover something – the traditional solutions stored arising. I knew these patties, however it wasn’t what I used to be looking for.

It lingered in my thoughts for fairly a very long time, and I stored on looking out – and it acquired me fascinated with patties normally.

There are lots of locations, like in Scarborough, Ont., as an example, the place you may get patties in areas just like the subway. Because of this, many individuals assume they’re broadly out there. However there’s lots of people who don’t take the subway, or don’t journey to these specific stations. I began fascinated with the entire patty trade, and I spotted that you simply usually must exit of your manner to purchase them. And you’ll’t actually take them anyplace – it’s a must to eat them immediately.

I believed there was room for enchancment. As nice and as huge a spread as we now have, this was an space that was missing. Let’s say you go to a celebration – you infrequently see patties. You see tacos, you see samosas. I wished to vary this.

I’d by no means made patties earlier than, and by no means seen a patty made. It’s one thing {that a} typical Jamaican wouldn’t have seen. I often liken it to croissants. In France, in every single place you go you see them, however I’m certain each French family doesn’t make them.

I do a variety of cooking, and I typically crave one thing that I’ve by no means made earlier than ­­– however I do know what needs to be in it and the way it ought to style. There have been many iterations, in fact. There’s no faculty I may go to and there’s no recipe per se, particularly when it got here to a vegan patty. It was about studying from scratch – understanding what the various kinds of flour and elements are, and some great benefits of utilizing one over the opposite. There have been occasions that I believed, I can’t make this, it’s not working. However over time, it advanced.

A jerk-chicken patty was a no brainer, and I considered a stew filling with lentils and greens. I needed to persuade myself to do a beef model; I believed, no one goes to take you significantly in the event you don’t do beef! The jerk-soy recipe was fascinating to develop. We even have an ackee recipe made with salted tofu, however I don’t assume that ackee – which is the nationwide fruit of Jamaica – is broadly identified.

There are nonetheless many individuals who don’t learn about patties normally, particularly new immigrants. It’s an entire market that has opened up for me. We’ve had folks pairing our patties with salsa, and Indian folks serving them with their very own sauces. I’ve even heard of someone who served it for breakfast with egg.

The response to Stush has been wonderful. I used to be at a commerce present lately and spoke to individuals who’d by no means seen a product like this earlier than and beloved watching their faces ­– their expression of enjoyment and “wow.” Individuals often view patties like different kinds of quick meals: one thing that they loved earlier than, like consuming a scorching canine at a memorable occasion, and that isn’t essentially wholesome. I would like folks to have the ability to have that nostalgic feeling however no guilt.

And with our branding, I wished to mirror the spirit of Jamaica in a manner that’s not distinctly Jamaican – it’s participating, and it crosses all cultures. It’s blissful and enjoyable – and that’s one thing all of us wish to be, proper?

As instructed to Odessa Paloma Parker

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