Our Story: Flavourful Roots

Craslyn began small backyard farming with her Grandad Clarence Benjamin who was a champion farmer of Yuca, hot peppers and potato back in the day.
It was a shortage of scotch bonnet pepper on the island that started the brand Benlar. The founder Craslyn Benjamin decided to farm scotch bonnet peppers to fulfill the growing demand globally and so an experiment with a small plot of farmland gives rise to the brand now farming and producing on a wide scale production level.

Flavours and spices have always been a part of Craslyn's life. Growing up with her Grandad who is a farmer of the land and her Grandmother Ethel Morgan who was a Master Chef made her a natural foodie from birth. The specialty offerings of sauces, spices and dips are truly an inspiration from her grandparents love for food and authentic Jamaican flavours that lives on in every product

A year of Renaissance

Message from Group CEO

The effects of the C0VID-19 pandemic over the past two years have presented the most difficult environment for our business resulting in a change of the way we do business to match the demands of this fast-growing world. We at Clarence Benjamin Group see this as an opportunity to expand our brand offerings and positioning as a premium specialty brand offering healthy and convenient foods to consumers wherever they are.

Despite the effects of the global pandemic, we see geographic expansion as critical to our growth and success and so we have restructured and repositioned our business model, where Benlar Foods is now one of the main brands being traded under the firm, Clarence Benjamin Group. The Group has introduced its line of specialty food offerings of sauces, plant base and premium frozen food products available for trading on the global market as demand for plant base and specialty products from vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore diets surges.

With support from the UK Trade Partnership Program CARIFORUM and the UK Aid our business has been given the opportunity to position our products to retailers and distributors within the European market. The company has also been given support from the Export Max Program through the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPR0) for market expansion and penetration. We are excited for these new opportunities as we position our company for transition into the export market as it is in our plans to drive export sales while continuing to service our local high value market buyers.

We are building global brands that are synonymous with good health and quality, so a global approach is key. With over five years in operations, we see the need now more than ever for continuous investment in our brands, our country, and our people.

Craslyn Benjamin,
CEO Founder