Jus Chill and munch some breadfruit chips

“Breadfruit deh yah fi stone dawg” is an utterance that can be heard during the breadfruit-eating season in this country. It means that the popular fruit is in great abundance, so much so, much of it is going to waste.

Yellow-heart, white-heart, round, elongated, misshapen, small, medium, large, very large, they are all over the island. The superfood, which is said to have been brought to Jamaica by Captain Bligh to feed enslaved Africans is very versatile in its use, and is eaten mostly with a variety of meats, ackee and salted codfish, and greens. Now, Jus Chill Foods Limited, founded by Javion Blake, is one company that is adding to the commercial versatility of the breadfruit, and thus reducing the mass waste.

“Growing up in Jamaica, I recall, it was painful watching fresh fruits going to waste after sellers at the local farmers’ markets discard leftover produce. Imaging witnessing this food waste while concurrently hearing discussions of national unemployment being out of control,” Blake, whom The Gleaner chanced upon at the recent Christmas in July tradeshow, said. “As a child, I never accepted that this had to be the reality. I believed adamantly that these wasted foods were valuable and through unlocking the values, many could be employed in a sustainable agro-processing sector.”

Fast forward to the summer of 2023 when JC Foods Limited was established as the production arm of the Jus Chill brand “to solve a problem”. Blake “wondered why the lack of economic activity could not be solved by innovating around the island’s wasted natural resources”.

“Breadfruits is one of those superfoods that is loved by so many that have had the opportunity to taste this gluten-free goodness. However, due to the limited shelf-life and perceived seasonality, it has never been commercially available in large quantities. The result for this exceptionally high-yielding perennial fruit crop is that most is wasted,” Jus Chill Foods Limited says in its notes about its breadfruit chips.

“Jus Chill has developed natural techniques and processes that are helping to shift this paradigm and make breadfruit products available far and wide throughout the entire year across all seasons and geographies.”So, what was the initial feedback to the product like?

“Our breadfruit chips have received a universal acceptance by both those who have tried breadfruits in the past in different forms and by those that have never heard about breadfruit in the past. We have taken and offered breadfruit chips sampling from Montego Bay to Kingston; New York to Los Angeles; Miami to Seattle; Berlin, Germany to Istanbul, Turkiye; and Cuba to US Virgin Island. In each of those locations, we can safely confirm that we have over 95 per cent favourable responses from first-time tasters. Additionally, we are talking about a diverse demography, which is a good indicator for us to continue growing our capacities,” Blake shared.

Jus Chill produces, markets, and sells consumer packaged goods products using superfoods, like breadfruits, to expand mainstream retail options while reducing climate change impact and food waste. It is targeting the market segment that wants every dollar spent to have a positive impact on producers and suppliers. In return, it promises to deliver high-quality products “without the bad stuff. They say all their products “naturally gluten-free, paleo and vegan/vegetarian, and made with only simple ingredients you can pronounce easily”.

In terms of competition, Jus Chill definitely believes that breadfruit can compete with the other chips on the market. “We have had numerous feedbacks across numerous markets that support this definitive answer. As an example, it has been clear for sometime that banana chips have a hard time crossing over in the mainstream markets. A large part of this friction comes for the bland taste profile of the green banana used in production,” Blake said.

“In order to overcome this resistance, several brands have attempted to sweeten these banana chips to reach mass-market appeal. Plantain chips have fared better with this mass-market appeal, but lag in the texture department. However, breadfruit chips score higher in these characteristics and score higher in the area of sustainability.”

Currently, Jus Chill is selling ‘Breadfruit Chips’ with ‘Classic Sea Salt’ as the main product. It has been soft-releasing other variations, such as ‘Jamaican Jerk’ and ‘Yardie Barbeque’. Additionally, it has soft released its ‘Breadfruit Muffin/Cake Mix’, and ‘Breadfruit Pancake/Waffle Mix’.

“We are working to streamline our production and sales strategy to further grow our revenues with the products we already have developed. In three years, Jus Chill should be a brand known by the niche markets we currently serve, but with an expanded geographic reach,” Blake told The Gleaner.