For many years, Grenada has been known…
The Island Blog
- July 6th 2011
A scenic drive on the Eastern side of the island of Grenada, up the gently sloping hillside into St Paul's takes you to De La Grenade Industries.
The recently renovated and upgraded food processing facility overlooks the verdant hillside of Mt. Gazo, and is situated on the landscaped grounds of De la Grenade Herb and Spice Garden, a tourist tour stop.
This company, which started in the basement of the La Grenade family home in St. Paul's, boasts of unique products made from local fruits and vegetables, that are all natural, delicious, exquisitely packaged and world renowned.
Of particular importance to the company and the economy of Grenada are the Nutmeg Products which are high value added, of high quality and exquisite in taste. All three are manufactured from the Nutmeg pericarp, the pale yellow fleshy fruit which encloses the nutmeg and mace; a former unutilized part of the nutmeg.
In the late 1990's, Sybil la Grenade, the founder and matriarch of De La Grenade Industries, a visionary in the field of agro-processing and rural development, decided to start a business utilizing this wasted fruit. Prior to 1970, housewives used nutmeg pericarp or pods as they are called in Grenada, to make Nutmeg jelly. Sybil La Grenade, a home economics teacher and a cook par excellance, used her culinary skills to take this further and developed the Nutmeg jam, which is delightful on toast or crackers and also on dishes such as roasted lamb, chicken or turkey as well as in pastries. However, the most famous of all the Nutmeg products is the Morne Delice Nutmeg Syrup.
Morne Délice Nutmeg Syrup was developed in conjunction with a British Chemist, Mr. Tony Dann, when the British Government in the early 1970's, established Produce Laboratories in eight Caribbean Islands, Grenada being one of them. As testimony to the high quality of this delightful syrup, Monde Selection, International Institute for Quality selections, the official institution established by the Belgian Government for universally maintaining high standards of beverages and foods produced for human consumption, awarded De la Grenade's premier product, Mone Delice Nutmeg syrup, a Grand Gold Medal in 1990. Morne Delice Nutmeg syrup became the first Caribbean food product to receive the highest award from Monde Selection in Brussels. The syrup can be used in a variety of drinks, fizzes and cocktails, on pancakes or oatmeal for breakfast, to make wonderful deserts and sauces as well as on meat dishes.
By creating an industry from a by-product, De La Grenade industries has increased the economic value of the nutmeg to farmers island wide, and is contributing to an improvement in the lives of many in rural Grenada.
The company exports its products to several Caribbean islands, the USA, UK and Germany and is currently on a drive for greater penetration of overseas markets.
