Producer: Genuine Jamaican
Owner/Founder: Derrick Samuels
Location: Barnet, VT
Found at the Littleton Co-op: BBQ sauces and marinade
Website: Facebook Page
Our modern day food systems were built on the backs of People of Color (POC), particularly the Black community, without making room to acknowledge their important contributions. During the month of February, celebrated as Black History Month, we take intentional moments to celebrate Black entrepreneurs, inventors, and businesses that have shaped the way we eat, drink, and live. Supporting a vibrant and diverse producer network is a yearlong goal of the Littleton Co-op, and we are proud to highlight BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
Ask around to the folks in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’s seen Derrick Samuels of Genuine Jamaican without a smile on his face. A genuine smile. Derrick is proud to provide authentic Jamaican food and flavor to our corner of the globe; he has been a Barnet, VT resident with his wife Shellie for 35 years. Seasonally, you’ll find him serving up full prepared meals at the Caledonia Farmers Market (St. J, VT), but his rubs and marinades are available at the Littleton Co-op year round. He credits his late mother and grandmother with both his cooking skills and optimism. But for Samuels it’s not optimism as most people see it – a season of life or fleeting feeling; it’s simply a way of life. His motto: “If you can take care of things, take care of it.”
Genuine Jamaican and Derrick certainly take care of their customers, offering high quality versatile rubs, marinades, and sauces at a great value. Come get a hit of a Jamaican summer in the midst of winter here at the Co-op!
