Marketing and Distribution Manager for Irie Lyfe, Barbara “Nzinga” Philbert-Allen (right), and daughter, Akilah Afrika Allen, with products on display during a Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) expo at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, earlier this year.
The versatility of honey, one of the most popular and widely used natural sweeteners, has been manifested in the range of value-added products manufactured by the St. Thomas-based entity, Irie Lyfe.
The business, which Jamaican entrepreneurs, Brian Allen, and wife, Barbara Philbert Allen, operate out of the pristine community of Airy Castle, manufactures, retails and distributes body and haircare products, condiments, and mosquito repellents for the local and regional markets.
Mrs. Allen, who met her husband while both were living in Canada, tells JIS News that Irie Lyfe evolved from the family’s bee-farming activities which they embarked on in 2012 as a source of supplemental income.
“Once we started to reap the benefits of beekeeping, which is honey, we then started exploring alternative ways to supply our children and close friends with a healthy alternative to sugar, and also healthy products we all could enjoy and put on the market to earn income,” she explains.
Mrs. Allen says in recognition of the highly competitive nature of the beekeeping industry, as a result of the significant number of farmers harvesting and selling honey, “we had to figure a way to differentiate ourselves from the market”.
To this end, Mr. and Mrs. Allen undertook product research, which led to the infusion of two popular products that are synonymous with Jamaica – ginger and Scotch bonnet pepper.
They used these to create unique condiments that can be used in culinary preparations or can double as a zingy preserve/spread that is consumed with bread or crackers, or a delicious mouth-watering dip for pretzels, chips or any other tasty snack.
“When we first introduced these products, persons queried ‘how is pepper going to work with something sweet like honey?’. But once they tasted it, they were amazed. It’s unbelievable just seeing the response and the positive effect on persons when they try these products,” Mrs. Allen says.
She adds that Irie Lyfe also harnesses wax produced by the bees to make viable income-earning products.
“We took a course with the St. Thomas Bee Farmers’ Cooperative on value-added products from bees, and that’s where we learned about the inputs that go into haircare products,” Mrs. Allen informs.
Source: JIS
