TALKING POINTS BY MINISTER OF TOURISM, THE HON. EDMUND BARTLETT AT THE JOY SPENCE OD, MASTER BLENDER – APPLETON ESTATE JAMAICA RUM COCKTAIL SUNKEN GARDENS, HOPE GARDENS Sunday, 2 April 2017

SALUTATIONS:

-         Chairman of J. Wray and Nephew Limited, Clement Lawrence.

-         Managing Director of J. Wray and Nephew Limited, Jean Phillipe Beyer.

-         Guest of Honor, Mrs. Joy Spence and her husband, Emile.

·       It is an honour to be here this evening to pay tribute to Appleton Estate’s Master Blender, Joy Spence, who has the honour of being the first woman to hold the position of Master Blender in the spirits industry.

A few years ago she shattered the glass ceiling when she became the first woman in the entire spirits industry to hold the position of master blender.

Today we are celebrating another first, as rum producers Appleton Estate have decided to name a rum after the master blender, to mark her 20th anniversary in the profession.

·       Ms. Spence is responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of existing blends, creating new rum blends and monitoring the Company’s inventory of ageing rum stocks.  Simply put, it is Joy’s job to ensure that that all Appleton Estate rum blends meet the high standards that consumers have grown to love and expect.

·       Joy joined Appleton Estate as Chief Chemist in 1981 where her passion for the art of creating rum-blends was inspired by her predecessor and mentor at the Company, then Master Blender, Owen Tulloch.  When Owen retired Joy was appointed the Master Blender in 1997. 

·       Outside of being a chemistry whiz, Joy also has a considerable organoleptic talent – the ability to detect, identify and differentiate between aromas. 

·       This has led to her being honoured by the Government of Jamaica, Academia and the Industry.

·       In 2005, Joy was honoured by the Government of Jamaica when she was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer for her service to industry.

·       In September 2012, Joy received an honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Loughborough in recognition of her contribution to the distilled spirits industry and the advancement of women in the field. In November 2012 Joy also received an honourary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies.

·       In 2011 Joy received the Golden Rum Barrel Pioneer’s Award for outstanding rum achievement. In 2014, she was honoured by the International Spirits Challenge with the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ Award and in 2016, she received the Golden Rum Barrel Award for the Most Influential Rum Blender of the Last 10 Years.

·       As the island’s oldest and most famous distillery, the Appleton Estate holds a special place in our economic and cultural history.

·       Your internationally-acclaimed Appleton Estate brand is the pride of Jamaica. It is among our most iconic brands, like Blue Mountain Coffee, Red Stripe, Bob Marley and Usain Bolt, which have helped focus the world on our wonderful island.

·       In recent years, gastronomy tourism has grown considerably and has become one of the most dynamic and creative segments of tourism globally.

·       More and more people are travelling to experience the food culture of other destinations, whether it is local restaurants and bars, farms and markets or vineyards and breweries.

·       Globally, gastronomy tourism has grown into a US$150 billion industry, according to data from the World Food and Travel Association.

·       Here, at home, our outstanding food experiences are among the top three reasons why persons visit Jamaica.

·       My Ministry is taking strategic steps to strengthen Jamaica’s competitiveness in Gastronomy Tourism as we reposition and diversify our product to generate higher growth rates in both visitor arrivals and earnings.

·       Among the strategies we will be employing are:

o   Creating a gastronomy mapping platform with a comprehensive list of restaurants, food festivals, food tours and other culinary information, which will allow visitors to easily locate and get information on the island’s best food offerings.

o   Collaborating with tourism partners to boost the number of quality food festivals

o   Working with tour operators to develop enticing food tours across the length and breadth of the island.

o   Integrate food experiences with existing flagship events

·       Ladies and Gentlemen, we must not forget that the Jamaican vacation is as much about the people as it is about our hotels, beaches and attractions.

·       I therefore commend Appleton for recognizing the commitment and hard work of your employees, in this particular instance- Joy.

·       In closing, I congratulate Joy Spence- friend and master blender.   Thank you for not only building this great brand but helping to bring worldwide recognition to Jamaica.

Thank you too for the opportunity to celebrate with you tonight and I look forward to sampling the Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend.