Jamaican patties
Radcliffe Robinson
, Freelance Writer
TORONTO:
JAMAICAN BRANDS are doing well in Canada but most of those who reap big benefits are not Jamaicans even though they are doing it legally in most cases.
The Jamaica Canadian Association (JCA) president says Jamaica should benefit from proceeds of the many people who use the Jamaican brand. But, the Trade Commission says there is no widespread piracy of the Jamaican name.
Over the past week, The Sunday Gleaner investigated certain Canadian businesses that sell "Jamaican Products" to see who really benefit from the sale of those goods.
The most widely used brands are: "Jamaican Patties", "Jamaican Jerk Chicken", "Jamaican Restaurant", "Jamaican Style Ginger Beer", "Jamaican T-Shirts" and "Bob Marley T-Shirts".
There is also a chain of stores called Roots Canada which plays reggae music most of the time while using art forms from the Jamaican landscape. "We did a Jamaican line of product for this summer", says Roots Canada director of Communications, Raymond Perkins. "Our co-founders, Don Green and Michael Budman, spend a lot of time in Jamaica. They were influenced by Bob Marley. They are good friends of Cat Coore and Bunny Ruggs of the Third World Band."
Roots was started back in 1973 with a Jamaican influence, according to Mr. Perkins. "We have a Jamaican leather bag in the Jamaican black and gold colours".
This company gives back to Jamaica as they were one of the fund-raisers for the famous bobsled team in 1988. They have hosted the Bob Marley Day in Toronto for five years. They also sent T-shirts to Jamaica on the recent visit by the Toronto Police Chief, Julian Fantino.
"My feeling is, anything with the name Jamaica, we should get benefit from it," JCA president Valerie Steeles argued.
GREAT BRAND
"The amount of things you see with 'Jamaican' on it, we should get some of the benefit," said Ms Steeles. "Jamaica is a great brand. Jamaica is quite right to register it. If the name Jamaica is attached to anything, we should benefit. I'm sure if you dig deep enough, and look at these 'West Indian Stores' and ask where is it from? They say, Jamaica."
Some people are concerned, however, that even the West Indian stores that sell mainly Jamaican products, are not operated by Jamaicans. The largest of them, Danforth Food Market chain of stores, are owned by Vietnamese. The next largest, Niceys Food Stores, are owned by Chinese who migrated from Jamaica in the 1970s.
One 'Jamaica Restaurant' in the upscale Toronto Eaton Centre is operated by an Ethiopan businessman who told The Sunday Gleaner he has a Jamaican chef on staff.
"In the past we used to have two or three cases of people putting the (Jamaican) products on their shelves and we went straight to the Canadian authorities," said Jamaican Trade Commissioner in Toronto, Cherita Girvan-Campbell. "Right now, we do not have too many. I work closely with the importers and Canadian Food producers. People know we are vigilant in the marketplace."
PATTIES
She said the "Jamaican Style Ginger Beer", which is sold at Canada's largest food chain, Loblaws supermarkets, are permitted because of the word "style" in the name which makes it different from "Jamaican Ginger Beer". The same is true for the "Jamaican Style Patties" which are sold in many supermarkets in Canada.
As for the "Jamaican Restaurants", the Trade Commissioner said, they might employ a Jamaican chef and that makes it legal to use the Jamaica name. So, the jerk chicken is permitted. "The public is not stupid. Some people might like it because it's mild but the majority of people go for the authentic product. The (Jamaican) companies are not afraid of those people. The genuine people are here. They go to trade shows. They know (the genuine) products".
Mrs. Girvan-Campbell said most of the patties are made by some Chinese and Lebanese who actually have roots in Jamaica, and migrated in the seventies to Canada. As for the East African shops, a lot of them actually buy from the Jamaican companies, she said.
In the Bathurst Subway station, the sign says Jamaican Patties but that too is operated by Ethiopians. Some clients say, the taste is not the same as the Jamaican patties.
Jamaican Tastee Patties are sold in a store in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre but the attendant later said she was not sure if they are really Jamaican.
Grace, Kennedy products, Picka Peppa Sauce and the Walkers Wood sauces are the products that not only do well in the West Indian stores but in mainstream supermarkets as well.
