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AWARD-WINNING BAHAMIAN PEPPER SAUCE SPICES UP ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S PERFECT DAY AT COCOCAY

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Cherelle Cartwright with one of her popular pepper sauces

NASSAU, March 3, 2023Mamma Sassy’s Papaya Medley Pepper Sauce is spicing up Royal Caribbean International’s private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas. The award-winning sauce created by small business owner and Bahamian Cherelle Cartwright makes its debut on the island in the popular Captain Jack’s restaurant.

From the bustling street markets of Nassau to the private destination in the Bahamas, Bahamian Cherelle Cartwright’s sauce debuted on the island just a few months after scaling the small business for mass production through the Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre Grant Program funded by the cruise line.

Cartwright’s journey from home chef to budding business owner propelled her to new heights after winning a pepper sauce competition open to small businesses in the Bahamas in October 2021 and receiving funds to expand her business through the program. “I could never have done this without the continuous support of the team from Royal Caribbean,” said Cartwright. “It was a journey and they were with me every step of the way. I can’t say enough good things about them, how they cared and the constant attention, calling to see how I was doing, encouraging me, encouraging my product, they were behind me 110%. When the lumps and bumps came up, they were there for me, they were wonderful.”

Royal Caribbean International and The Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre combined resources to launch the Royal Caribbean Programme in July 2021, which administers US$500,000 in funding and training opportunities to support small businesses in the tourism sector on New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Berry Islands. The company provided an initial contribution of US$250,000, equally matched by the Access Accelerator. The cruise line invested an additional US$250,000 in 2022 to help incubate small businesses and bring additional jobs to the community. The program provided Cartwright with access to a business manager who assisted her in scaling up production to meet the demands of a mass market. The funds she received enabled her to test five products in an FDA-approved lab for nutritional data.

“Our guests seek authentic experiences when traveling and this initiative has allowed us to continue to deliver those experiences while uplifting the communities that share their culture with us,” said Russell Benford, vice president of government relations for Royal Caribbean Group. “Cartwright’s success with Mama Sassy’s Pepper Sauce exemplifies how the determination of an ambitious small business owner attributed by the opportunity presented by the Royal Caribbean Programme can change lives. We are excited about this new partnership with Mama Sassy’s and look forward to supporting other small businesses to achieve their goals.”

Captain Jack’s is touted as the best place to spend time like a local while enjoying live music, salty sea breezes and amazing food and drinks at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Mama Sassy’s Papaya Medley Pepper Sauce joins an assortment of signature sauces on the la carte menu complimenting a crowd favorite, the crispy golden chicken wings.

 

Photo Captions: 

Header:  Mama Sassy’s assortment of pepper sauces…ready to spice up your palate

1st insert: March 2023 – Mama Sassy’s award-winning Papaya Medley Pepper Sauce, which won Royal Caribbean’s Pepper Sauce Competition in the Bahamas, finds a home at Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. 

2nd insert: It’s spicy hot..but delicious! Staff enjoying Mama Sassy’s pepper sauces at Perfect Day at Coco Cay

3rd insert: Help yourself to Mama Sassy’s pepper sauces now available for guests at Captain Jack’s restaurant at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at Coca Cay.

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Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

 

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Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos 

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RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

 

 

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Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

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Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew. 

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.” 

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.” 

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations. 

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash. 

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described. 

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating. 

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

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