AFTER discovering her love for creating all-natural fruit jams, Melissa Tavares-Wilson started experimenting with the product. Now, years later, she’s the owner of Mel’s Sticky Jams.
“It was a COVID project that kind of just took off. I actually started making jams from home three years ago, but it was just for friends and family,” says Tavares-Wilson.
“I was in real estate before so I never really took it seriously, but when the pandemic hit I had a lot more time on my hands,” she tells Jamaica Observer’s LetsTravelCaribbean.com.
With five unique flavours of jam made with locally grown fruits, Tavares-Wilson would share the vegan-friendly products with her loved ones. In fact, it was through their encouragement that she decided to monetise her passion.
“A lot of family friends kept saying, ‘You really need to start selling this. These jams taste great and different; we don’t really see any of these flavours on the market.’ So, I decided to give it a try,” Tavares-Wilson revelaed.
“I made it official in October 2020 when I registered the company and started selling to retailers. It’s been growing from there,” the proud businesswoman shares.
Mel’s Sticky Jams is now known for its range of unique flavours as Tavares-Wilson is always aiming to create a healthy but tasty concoction. Fun fact: Her jams have zero additives.
“They are all-natural and vegan-friendly, low-sugar, and made with all Jamaican fruits. I have a jackfruit and rosemary jam that is kind of an epicurean flavour that no one has ever seen in a jam before. I also do a chunky strawberry, which is a good classic flavour that a lot of kids like. I have a mango scotch bonnet and an otaheite apple flavour as well,” says Tavares-Wilson.
She adds, “During Christmas I made sorrel gingerbread, which in fact was so popular that I’m looking to find a regular source of sorrel.”
Her home-made jams, Tavares-Wilson says, can also be used in diverse ways around the kitchen, and this is one of the reasons her customers love them.
“You can cook with it or you can use it as a glaze. So, if you’re having something like a filet of salmon or snapper, you can just put the pine and ginger or the mango scotch bonnet jam on as a glaze,” she states.
She expects that demand will grow over time and she’s already looking ahead to growing her home-based business.
“I’m actually looking to expand to a facility so that I can go ahead and get into the local markets within the supermarket,” she tells LetsTravelCaribbean.com.
“Right now I’m in about 10 locations across Jamaica and I sell wholesale from my house, but it has reached the point where I need to expand. My goal for 2022 is to look for a partner or investor and expand my operation,” the businesswoman adds.
Tavares-Wilson continues, “In five years I would love to be in every supermarket on the island and tap into the North American market as well. I see this as a business that not only sells jams, but can also diversify into other products that fit the same model — which are all-natural, vegan-friendly and gluten-free.”
IG: mels_stickyjams
