The Servetray gastronomic brand represents a focused movement to help improve the food and drink we consume by filtering, prioritising, and utilising essential natural resources; whilst looking out for the best interest of our environment (earth and people). The food industry is moving forward, but the consequence of this is that we are relying too much on scientific approaches to accomplish this (e.g., GMOs, artificial chemicals, etc.). Science has its use, but there must be valid reasons and limits.
Subsequently, this highlights the importance of gastronomy in influencing and shaping our brand purpose and DNA. Growing up in the Caribbean (Jamaica), first in the countryside, I was heavily impacted by the rural life and ways of living. For example, food products were made using traditional processes and natural ingredients. People were creative in how they go about making their food and reducing food waste. Many of their ingredients were sourced locally and / or were grown on their farms. Because ingredients were natural, the nurturing of good eating and nutritional importance were promoted. The vibrancy of communities was often dictated or made possible through people coming together and sharing their food or making it and selling at events e.g., festivals, contests, awards, etc. This helped me to start appreciating at a very early age the impact of culture in culinary arts and living. By the time I started living in the city, what I was accustomed to from my prior rural lifestyle, was not replaced but extended. Those past experiences have been instrumental driving forces and roots of my passion and motivation for doing what I do. We here at Servetray place great emphasis on creating products that are authentic, artisanal, natural, high on quality, creative, and innovative. We respect our environment (our earth and the people that live in it). The core gastronomic element of our brand has been a guided recipe development principle, and I take pride and feel privileged to be able to merge various cultures that I am a part of and have been introduced to, while simultaneously representing and extending my culture.
Even if you have never travelled to the Caribbean, there is a high chance that you have heard of or taste the cultural embedded ‘Jerk cooking’. If we take a walk down food history lane, it is the Caribbean region (dominantly the island of Jamaica) that popularised and broaden the global awareness of the famous Caribbean entrenched jerk related cooking. This legendary jerk cuisine is a combination of various indigenous and foreign cultures, natural ingredients, authentic flavours, and a patient artisan cooking and slow grilling approach. However, what lots of people are not mindful is the fact that the Caribbean food culture is an underrepresented as well as a misunderstood group when it comes to world cuisine. Hence, part of our brand vision entails taking on that corporate responsibility of helping to raise the awareness of Jamaican and Caribbean food culture to a global audience. The Jamaican food culture is more than just ‘jerk’....
