When Totlyn ‘Shanette’ McDonald clinched both the Pan Chicken and Grace Tomato Ketchup Sauce Boss categories at the CB Foods PAN 2024 finals last August, it solidified her culinary skills and fast-tracked the growth of her business venture.
One year later, the food entrepreneur from Leith Hall, St Thomas, is busier than usual serving up delectable meals every Friday, growing her catering services, and preparing to test her skills again in this year’s competition. This time, she will be taking on a new challenge with jerk pork, as CB Foods introduces the Copperwood Pork PAN category for the first time. Copperwood Pork is distributed by CB Foods Ltd.
“I’m just as nervous as when I was entering the chicken competition [last year]. I’m just going out there and do my best and have fun while I’m at it,” Ms McDonald said.
She is one of six selected past PAN winners to participate in the Pork PAN category, meanwhile, 32 vendors will face off in the PAN Chicken category at the CB Foods 2025 PAN Finals, set for August 31 at Jamaica College in St Andrew. The event is staged under the theme ‘Roots, Rock & Ready Chicken.’
At last year’s CB Foods PAN competition, Ms McDonald triumphed over 31 competitors to claim the titles at Independence Park in Black River, St Elizabeth. She won $1 million and a year’s supply of chicken from CB Foods, $100,000 from JN Money, one-year supply of bread from National Baking Company among other prizes.
Beyond the national recognition, the victory also provided the resources to strengthen and expand her food business. She was able to invest in equipment and complete the construction of a shop next to her home, which now serves as the hub for her baked goods and chicken business.
Prior to her win, she only sold barbecue and pan chicken on the last Friday of each month, but the exposure and resources provided by PAN 2024 have fuelled a steady demand for her expanded offerings.
“I don’t limit myself. On the last Friday of every month, we have barbeque, the second Friday we have stewed peas – one with chicken and one with pork. We have persons who do not eat meat, so we have a veggie special for them. On the other Fridays, we do a variety of chicken dishes. We do jerk, bake, sweet and sour, [and] homestyle Mallah.”
Ms McDonald also pointed out that her client base has been steadily increasing since her win.
“Every week, we get different persons, and we are now doing catering. People hear about the jerk chicken and want to try it,” she said.
While Fridays are dedicated to her chicken dishes, she along with her sister, Melissa McDonald, spend the other days baking a variety of cakes and pastries which are just as popular as her meals. Most of their baking is done to order and deliveries are made within St Thomas, Portland, Kingston and St Andrew.
She noted that her growing business has also created employment opportunities within her community, as she now hires persons to assist with large food orders and has even brought a dedicated delivery person on board.
Although she has not yet fully ventured into sauce production, the recipe she created during last year’s competition remains in demand. She is considering exploring it as a new business opportunity in the near future.
“I’m mostly focusing on the chicken. Hopefully next year I’ll dive deeper into the sauce,” she said, adding that she fills orders based on requests.
Cedrica Reid, Marketing and Sales Manager at JN Money Services Ltd., commended Ms McDonald for putting her winnings to work in building out her business.
“Ms McDonald is a true example of how opportunities like PAN can transform lives and livelihoods. We are proud that our contribution enabled her to invest in her operations, upgrade her equipment, and expand her reach.”
“Competitions like PAN are more than just about food, they’re about empowerment. When we see entrepreneurs like Ms McDonald using their talents to build thriving businesses, it reinforces why JN Money continues to invest in these initiatives. We want to help spark growth and celebrate the creativity that makes Jamaica’s food culture so unique,” Ms Reid said, adding that
JN Money also provided business guidance to the participants in the competition during two regional workshops held recently.