Press: June 23, 2010
A Magical Marinade Moment
A Jamaican bottles up the island flavors, and a spicy business is born.
By Andrea Weigl
The News & Observer, June 23, 2010
Pluto Richards never harbored a food dream. Rather, his entry into creating a line of jerk marinades and seasoning mixes began at a dinner party more than a dozen years ago.
Richards and his girlfriend were making dinner for friends. Among the dinner guests was lawyer Rob Monath, who was a bit nervous about dinner, having had a bad experience with jerk chicken – the dish Richards, a native of Jamaica, planned to serve.
But then Monath tasted Richards’ jerk chicken: “I closed my eyes and took a bite. It was almost a magical moment. It was so delicious.”
Monath was so impressed with that tender, juicy chicken that he persuaded Richards to start a business to package the seasoning mix. Monath even suggested a name: Caribbean Bliss. The two men became business partners.
Richards came to North Carolina in 1990 when he helped a friend move from New York to Chapel Hill. It reminded him of Jamaica: It was green with plenty of open spaces and farms nearby; people were friendly, greeting each other on the street; and there was a sense of community.
“Immediately, I liked the place,” he says.
But Richards says he missed Jamaican food. It took him years to develop a spice mix to replicate the taste of the jerk seasoning. But he never intended to sell it until Monath suggested he do so.
The business started with a $500 investment, Richards says. They haven’t borrowed money but have built the business slowly, reinvesting their profits into the operation, he says. “I want to be able to sleep at night,” Richards says.
Monath, who handles the books and administrative tasks, says they are “caught between markets.” So far, they have done a good job getting stocked in the specialty food stores from Carrboro to Sweden, Monath says. But they have been unable to break into mainstream grocery stores that charge a “slotting fee,” a cost that food manufacturers pay to get on the shelves.
Instead, Richards and Monath are aiming for the wholesale market where restaurants and food service companies can purchase their bulk marinades. Monath says they just signed a deal with a major wholesale distributor, Southern Foods in Greensboro. “That’s really the direction we’re heading,” Monath says.
For those thinking about turning their secret family recipe into a business, Richards has this advice: “If you have something unique, and it’s something you really believe in – because that is what will keep you going – take a chance.”
