Category: rainforest seafoods

Rainforest adds more solar capacity

Seafood trader Rainforest is doubling solar energy capacity at its plant in Montego Bay, from 0.5 megawatt to one megawatt, at a cost of $75 million.

When the project is finalised in two to three months, Rainforest will possess the capacity to generate over 1.5 megawatts of solar power in Jamaica at its main complex in Montego Bay and its plant in Kingston.

The new photovoltaic (PV) or solar panels are being installed on a five-storey building that houses the company’s free-standing freezer at Montego Freeport.

“When we first introduced PV systems in Kingston four years ago, it cost us about US$1.65 per watt of power installed. By the time we did MoBay two years after, that came down to about US$1.38 per watt. Now it is less than a dollar, so it’s becoming far more attractive to go solar,” said Rainforest CEO Brian Jardim.

The Kingston plant was outfitted with solar panels in 2014, followed by a second phase at the MoBay complex in 2016.

Altogether, the three phases represent a US$2-million investment, Jardim said, funding for which was secured through the window for renewable energy loans set up by the Development Bank of Jamaica, DBJ, but issued through lending institutions.

“The window provided by the DBJ means very good rates. It actually comes through the commercial banks at an interest rate of six or seven per cent. That makes good financial sense, if you ask me,” Jardim said, who noted that at each stage of the project, the payback period on the investment has shortened.

“The payback period has come down from about six years in the first instance,” he said. “For the second phase, the payback was about five years. Now it is about four years.”

With the current project, all of Rainforest’s main operating and administrative buildings would have been covered with photovoltaic arrays.

The company has also implemented other conservation methods to add to those savings, including more efficient compressors, and switching from freon gas to ammonia for cooling, and utilising LED lighting for the freezers and perimeters of the Rainforest complex.

“There is also a neat little set-up that saves us a lot of money, where we embed tubes at the base of the freezers, run glycol through that and distribute that to other areas where we need temperatures that are less than freezing – that is to say, chill rooms and so on,” Jardim said.

Source: The Gleaner

From Tank To Table: Rainforest Seafoods’ Live Lobster Offering At Moon Palace

Thursday, January 4th, 2018

There is nothing like the delectable taste of fresh lobster. And now guests at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios, can enjoy just that at the hotel’s seaside restaurant. Thanks to a unique partnership between Palace Resorts and Rainforest Seafoods, patrons can choose a live lobster from a salt water tank, and have it cooked to their taste by the hotel’s skilled chefs.

Offered at an additional cost, using Resort Credit, the only live lobster dining experience at a hotel on the island, is made possible through Rainforest Seafoods’ brand — Fresh by Rainforest.

“The tank is very inviting,” says Ben Jardim, business development manager at Rainforest Seafoods. “It allows patrons to select the lobster they like.” While the guests are intrigued by the huge, filtered tank in the centre of the dining room, they enjoy the tasty, fresh lobsters even more.

Moon Palace Jamaica’s Executive Chef, José Vallejo, is delighted at the opportunity to work with this exclusive menu item. “Our guests are looking for a different kind of seafood. As chefs, we like to play with the flavours, and fresh is the best way to get the flavour! It’s much better. I prefer to cook with all fresh products,” Vallejo emphasises.

Executive Sous-Chef Emilio Benavides, has been at Moon Palace Jamaica since it opened just over two years ago, and believes that the live lobsters will provide “that wow factor” for diners.

The live lobster will be served up in a variety of delectable ways for guests. “We serve the entire lobster to the guest … We don’t just give them the tail. There is some meat inside the head and the body, too. We can cook it traditional jerk, Jamaican style with Jamaican spices — the pimento, the Scotch bonnet, the scallion. We do a marinate on the grill; so, it might be a jerk lobster, or a traditional garlic butter. We poach it and we grill it a little bit. Or we do a thermidor, if they want it. Or maybe au gratin; if they would like it like that, we can do that option, too,” he explains.

An an effort to offer their guests a world-class epicurean experiences at each of their properties, earlier this year, the brand announced an exclusive partnership with Certified Angus Beef, making it the first and only hotel chain, to offer the highest quality beef at all 10 of its properties. In addition, the brand just announced a partnership with world-renowned pastry chef, Antonio Bachour. Palace Resorts will feature an exclusive menu selection of decadent desserts and pastries, exclusively curated by Bachour.

“Palace Resorts’ prides itself in the ability to continuously search for strategic alliances that elevate our brand to the next level,” said Jabib Chapur, vice president of Food & Beverage for Palace Resorts. “Our partnership with Rainforest Seafoods is just another way we consistently bring unique and distinct dining opportunities to our guests.”

Rainforest Seafoods’ Roger Lyn adds that this offering enhances Jamaica as a ‘foodie’ destination. He points out that visitors are coming “not just for the beaches,” but for a cultural experience, including food. It is also a push for brand Jamaica. Jardim adds, that the hotel industry plays an important role in promoting and highlighting something special for visitors. “The lobsters are our own local species. This is a good way to get it out to the world that Jamaica has this quality product.”

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Healthy Catch! Rainforest Seafoods ‘reels in’ internal Jamaica Moves programme

Rainforest Seafoods recently became the latest corporate company to launch their internal Jamaica Moves programme. The launch, held at the company’s headquarters, follows the Ministry of Health’s Jamaica Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge launched in July this year.
Bethany Young, marketing manager at Rainforest Seafoods, pointed out that the core of what the company does is related to living a healthy lifestyle, making reference to the products they manufacture and sell – seafood. She further explained that it was a no-brainer for the company to get involved in the Jamaica Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge, since participating in 5Ks is almost innate to the company and its employees.

“It’s part of our company culture. It’s who we are. We’ve always been a participant of 5Ks and a lot of physical activities for years. We saw the Jamaica Moves Corporate Challenge as an opportunity for our team members to get out there, to participate in something fun, inspiring and good for them,” Young said.

COMPANY CULTURE

Alison Sutherland, special projects manager at Rainforest Seafoods and team leader for the physical activity at the company, noted that the company has been able to develop a healthy habit for recreational activity because they have the support of their chief executive officer (CEO), Brian Jardim; general manager Jerome Miles; other executives and senior management within the company.

“The leader has to support it and that’s what we have here. Our CEO supports what we are doing. Without a support system, it’s not going to happen,” Sutherland said.
Adding to what Sutherland said, Bethany made mention of Jardim, who along with his wife, Shelagh, participate in almost every 5K run that their company is involved in.
“It feels like a team activity. Everybody is involved. Every level of the company is invited,” Young said.

The company also took it a bit further to encourage employees to get their family members active as well. Young explained that in a lot of the 5K runs, the company allows employees to bring a family member, which the company pays for. Winners and participants in the 5K races are also given special commendation in the company’s newsletter and featured on their social media pages.

ACTIVE TEAM

The Friday afternoon workout session is aimed at getting employees within the company to engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day in an attempt to reduce their risk of contracting a non-communicable disease (NCD). The company currently has a similar programme at their Montego Bay, St James office, where they invite a personal trainer in. Sutherland said other employees now do their own workout sessions at home, while others have joined the gym.

“We are an active team,” Sutherland said with a smile.

The Jamaica Moves Get Moving Corporate Challenge has become increasingly important in light of a 2011 study by the World Bank, titled ‘Public Policy and the Challenge of Chronic Non Communicable Diseases’, which estimated that an individual suffering from any NCD spends approximately one-third of household per capita expenditure on health-care services and the purchase of pharmaceutical drugs.
Jamaica Moves is the country’s coordinated national response to the increased incidences of NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. Through education, engagement and the building of supportive environments, the programme hopes to reduce NCDs by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Shaw enters the Rainforest

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Finance Minister Audley Shaw and a team from his ministry and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) yesterday toured Rainforest Seafoods’ 30,000 square-foot processing plant at Slipe Road in Kingston, where they received a first-hand look at the operations of the Caribbean’s largest supplier of premium quality seafood.

The team included minister of state Rudyard Spencer, PSOJ President PB Scott, and PSOJ Chief Executive Officer Dennis Chung.

The state-of-the-art, climate-controlled processing plant is HACCP-certified and has the capability of producing value-added products to include breading, battering, brining, cooking, pickling, portioning and smoking.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a food-safety system that helps food business operators look at how they handle food. The system utilises procedures to make sure the food produced is safe to eat.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Shaw-enters-the-Rainforest_86524

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Swimming Boss Backs Rainforest Seafoods Ambassador Alia Atkinson for Sportswoman Prize

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Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) President Handel Lamey is throwing full support behind swimming standard bearer Alia Atkinson, whom he is hoping will win her second RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award next month.

The prestigious annual awards ceremony will be held on January 13 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

In 2015, Atkinson became the first swimmer to win the national award since Belinda Phillips in 1974.

According to Lamey, the only blemish on the 28-year-old national record holder’s performances this year was not medalling at the Olympics.

“I think she is a very strong candidate for this year, being that she has established 100m world record, 50m world record and the only thing is that she did not achieve an Olympic medal. But in terms of performance, she has done exceedingly well,” the ASAJ boss told STAR Sports.

Atkinson, who won three medals at the Short Course (SC) Worlds and broke the 50m breaststroke SC would record, will be looking to upstage double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson for the top award.

Locally, Lamey points to the swimmer’s impact as tremendous, considering Atkinson a household name.

“It’s a big deal for us, considering that she has been the only swimmer in a long time that has had received the award. She is very good to have been nominated on so many occasions and having won it,” he said.

From a sporting association level, the president says the decorated swimmer gives a lot of exposure.

“When you look out there in the winning environment, there aren’t that many black swimmers coming from this region who are participating at that level,” stressed Lamey.

Atkinson cites sponsors, such as Rainforest Seafoods, as key to her success

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MONTEGO BAY, St James — FINA Short Course world record holder Alia Atkinson has lauded the assistance from her sponsors Rainforest Seafoods and the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) in helping her reach to the top of word swimming.

At a luncheon held in her honour yesterday at the offices of Rainforest Seafoods in Freeport, Montego Bay, Atkinson, who won three medals at the recent FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Windsor, Canada, presented her sponsors with one of her medals from the World Cup held in Doha, Qatar. She told them she would not have been able to accomplish most of her targets this year without their help.

“Swimming was not that big here in Jamaica and I needed the finance, I needed the help,” she admitted. “Not only did it help me reach to meets that I could not reach before, but it made me feel somewhat like I was on the same level playing field as the rest of the world.”

Atkinson, who suffered a major disappointment after finishing last in her pet event, the 100m breastroke at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August, said the swimmers from other countries got everything they needed to enhance their performances. “The silliest things that you can even think of,” she said, before noting that even the arrangements by the world governing body for swimming favoured those from the more developed countries.

“At the last World Championships, there were six different hotels and all the countries that were expected to medal were in the best hotels, and the others were in the rickety ones around the corner. Everything, from the food and the environment, was a step down.”

It was the support from her sponsors and the ASAJ, she said, that made the difference for her. “If it was not for the support from Rainforest and from Jamaica swimming and Jamaica itself, I would not be able to bring myself up to that level and know that I could do well,” she said.

“It’s not just about you giving someone money…it’s hard to say, but it embodies who I am and it keeps me fighting.”

This season has seen ups and downs, she said, from the Olympics let down to breaking a World Short Course 100m breaststroke record and finish the season strongly. But she said she will fight on.

“There have been ups and down; life is a fight and we can’t give up because life throws you a curveball when you are expecting a straight one,” she said. “I want to build up swimming for people of colour, and for Jamaica; I want to build up children’s characters and teach them that they must try to excel and not just to give up.”

Roger Lyn, marketing manager for Rainforest Seafoods, called Atkinson a “true ambassador, the type of person we want to align our brand with, not just being an athlete, but the example that you set”.

In his welcome he said the alignment between the swimmer and the brand was perfect. “We are seafood and all about the ocean, so we are happy to make the partnership happen this year.”

Ernest Grant, general manager of Rainforest Seafoods, said Atkinson had raised the profile of the sport. “You are now a household name and have inspired many others,” he said, as he reminded Jamaicans that athletes are not just those who run and jump.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Atkinson-cites-sponsors-as-key-to-her-success_83728