Knowing who makes your food isn’t only about understanding its origins; it’s also about honouring the dedication that goes into every bite. Here are some of the people who’ve had a hand in bringing Cocoyay to life.
Cocoa: Rancho Quemado Estates
Where cocoa comes alive
Rancho Quemado Estates Limited (Established 2007) is comprised of 45 acres located in Rancho Quemado, Palo Seco. The area is rich in history producing mostly cocoa but also bananas and citrus. Back in 1924 when Trinidad was a source of a much larger volume of cocoa, this area was known as Queensland Estate.
Rancho is a strong advocate for the revitalization of the cocoa industry in Trinidad and Tobago – they regularly plant cocoa trees, which they grow without using chemicals. They also make orange juice, are involved in apiculture (bees), aquaculture (tilapia), and make cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and local creole chocolate the old fashioned way.
Photo left to right: Danel Bourne, Cody Garcia, Jesus Cabrera, Martin Renalis
Moruga Hill Rice: Cyrilee Subratee
Location: St. Mary’s Village, Moruga
“I am still learning new ways of even planting the rice… I am still learning after 60-something years, I am still learning. You know, knowledge is something that you never reach to say, ‘I know it all.’”
— Cyrilee Subratee, hill rice farmer
Cyrilee at Cocobel Chocolate, October 2024
Cassava: Shiraz Boodhan
Location: Carlsen Field, Chaguanas
“You must love what you do. When you love what you do, you will put that effort into it, you’ll put that joy into it... I know for a fact from being in agriculture, it [cassava] is the future food. So I know it has a lot of potential, and that’s why I go 100% behind it – because of the potential it carries with it.”
— Shiraz Boodhan, cassava farmer
Shiraz at Cocobel Chocolate, October 2024
Fruit (guava and mango): Farm & Function
Location: All over!
Established: 2017
Healthy convenient, frozen food products, grown, processed and manufactured right here in Trinidad & Tobago.
“It feels like an alignment, a timing… [Isabel/Cocobel] and I have both been in the space for a long period of time… and being able to feed a local supply chain into something like this – it’s just really exciting, and we can’t wait to see where the product goes.”
— Rachel Renie, Co-Founder, Farm & Function
Visit the Farm & Function website
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Rachel Renie
Spices (basil, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper): Heaven Bliss
Location: Carenage
Established: 2014
“Our products are live food, so even when it’s dried it’s supposed to have all the nutrients as if it was in its natural state... I want to see all the artisans who are utilising the gifts we have locally to do better, to make something innovative and to help us as a people to be sustainable.”
— Akeila Dalrymple, Founder, Heaven Bliss
Akeila Dalrymple
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