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TOPIC: PARTNERS IN LOVE & BUSINESS

 

 the focus on ‘partnerships’ by highlighting the JBDC’s 2023 B.O.S.S MAN OF THE YEAR, Wouter Tjeertes (and his partner/wife). A close partnership wrapped in love for each other and business. How did they come to be business partners? How do the dynamics work? Who does what? Were they entrepreneurial before they met? Why business? Why chocolate? How do their individual strengths lend to this successful partnership? Etc.

Interview Questions

 

•              The story of how Pure Chocolate came to be?

•              How long have you and your partner been together?

•              The story of how you two met (optional)

•              How did you and your wife become business partners?

•              How do the dynamics work?

•              Who does what in the business?

•              Were any of you entrepreneurial before you met?

•              Why business?

•              Why chocolate?

•              How does your individual strengths lend to this successful partnership?

 

Answers provided by Wouter Tjeertes

Pure Chocolate Company is a Jamaican artisan chocolate brand born in January 2017 from a desire to give back and develop a long dormant and underappreciated homegrown product in Jamaica - its fantastic cocoa.

The driving force behind Pure are Rennae Johnson with her husband Wouter Tjeertes. Rennae is a seasoned pastry chef born and raised in Jamaica and knows the country, its farmers and community. Wouter has 3 decades of experience as executive pastry chef and chocolatier at various high-end resorts and boutique pastry shops in the Caribbean and Europe. Together as partners in business and in life, they combine their love for each other with the love to create a unique chocolate brand from the land of wood and water.

With every decision we take, we always keep one thing in mind - is what we do honest, sustainable and Pure?

…

we have been together since 2011, we met at Half Moon resort where I worked as executive pastry Chef and Rennae worked in the pastry shop as a pastry cook. We moved to St. Lucia where I learned how to make tree to bar chocolate, and in 2017 we both decided to come back to Jamaica and start our own chocolate company using local beans.

Rennae takes care of the finances and administrative part, as well as farmer relations, whilst I run the day to day production and focus on expansion and product development. I became an entrepreneur because it frustrated me too much working for a boss and not being able to have control over my own life in a sense.

Chocolate has always been a passion of mine and was a natural next step to take.

…

The B.O.S.S for the men means BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRONG SUCCESS. Chocolate is both strong in flavour and sweet to the taste. Wouter Tjeertes of Pure Chocolate, delighted in his success, saying “Winning the B.O.S.S MAN OF THE YEAR is an honour and really unexpected. It goes to show all the work we have been putting in and it’s not only me, but this award is also for my wife. We have been on this journey together.” Pure Chocoloate has seen significant growth in products and revenue, and has taken the bold step of opening a one-of-a-kind chocolate experience shop in Island Village, Ocho Rios. The company has incorporated Jamaican ingredients like plantain, coffee, jerk, and so on, in their products. In so doing, Pure Chocolate is a prime example of the success of the manufacturing, agriculture, and cultural & creative industries value chain as it includes local farmers and art students from the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts. Their bite-sized chocolate is now being served on Caribbean Airlines.