YAWDI’s PRESS
Delicious holiday gifts for food-lovers
Pay Chen has fab foodie finds to guarantee you're the host with the most this season. "It's not mold everyone, it's flavour!"
Women-owned businesses perfect for your 2022 holiday shopping
Veneise George’s passion for travelling and her desire to try food wherever she travels was the inspiration behind Yawdi’s. She noticed food never tastes the same once you leave the country that it originates from, so she established her brand with the sole purpose of bringing the tastes of different countries to your kitchen.
YAWDI’S PEPPER JELLY
As a mother of two herself, Scarborough, Ontario’s Veneise George, founded Yawdi’s Jamaican-inspired marinades and condiments to help families reduce time spent preparing tasty meals without artificial colours or flavours, and we’re big fans of her sweet and tangy Red Bell Pepper Jelly! We also endorse her mission to support other BIPOC entrepreneurs, specifically BIPOC women in the food industry. 250 mL around $9 online at yawdi.ca, Sobeys and other specialty stores.
The Flavour Entrepreneur with Veneise George
This week on Bet On Yourself, Fred and Derek sit down with Veneise George, founder of Yawdi’s: Jamaican-inspired marinades, mustards, pepper jellies, and more. As a busy wife and a mother of two, Veneise’s main motivation is to help families reduce time spent preparing great tasting meals that are healthy, without artificial colours or flavours. Coming from a non-for-profit background, Veneise’s measure of success for her business looks a little different; in her eyes, supporting other BIPOC entrepreneurs, specifically BIPOC women in the food industry, is how she sees Yawdi’s value in a larger community context. Inspired by Veneise’s story of giving back, Derek’s spontaneously comes up with the perfect tagline for Yawdi’s, “Created in my kitchen to serve in your kitchen.” Finally, Fred and Derek encourage Veneise to own her success beyond humility. This is not the humble podcast!
Caribbean culture featured in Carnival Flavours
Carnival Flavours, a weekend festival in Scarborough, features Caribbean food, music, costumes and live performances.
Loblaw helps Yawdi’s take off
Back in 2015, Veneise George was looking for a way to spend more time with her kids. The busy mom worked full-time as a youth manager at a Toronto not-for-profit and volunteered in her community, so by the time she got home she usually had to choose between prepping dinner and hanging out with her children.
Scarborough woman brings her jerk marinade from Malvern to Loblaws and Sobeys
Other jerk sauces had preservatives and additives, but George didn’t want that.
“As a mom, it’s very important I’m able to pronounce and to understand what I’m feeding my family.”
George has lived in Malvern since emigrating to Canada in 1986.
She’s parent council chairperson at St. Pope John Paul II, a local secondary school, and said she encourages youth to turn their passion into a business.
“The best part is they know that it’s someone from the community that’s done it,” George said.