Four Decades Of Tastee Bites
VIDEO: Four Decades of History-Making Tastee Bites
Forty-seven years since the first customer bit into its legendary golden, flaky patty, Tastee has cultivated a steadfast presence in the national diet and consciousness. The upstart patty-making business Vincent Chang opened in Union Square, Cross Roads back in 1966 has grown into a Rock-solid enterprise and a food staple consumed with voracious zeal by tens of thousands on a daily basis. With its storied history — including a move to new factory space at its now landmark Half-Way-Tree Road headquarters in 1971 and gradual expansion to include other locations — the fast-food restaurant chain penetrated the Jamaican consumer market and tastebuds, one patty (and coco bread) at a time.
Near shy of their half-century mark, Tastee’s powers-that-be (Mr Chang, his director wife Valerie and their director daughter Simone) laid out the welcome carpet Monday afternoon to the Jamaica Observer Food Awards judging panel, affording us an inside peek at the company’s factory operations (led by the super-knowledgeable Production Manager Beresford Bailey). Also in the cards was a post-tour, four-course lunch date hosted in the company’s executive offices (and introduced by Chief Operations Officer Ryan Foster) that featured Tastee’s catering service menu options.
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Ahead of appetisers, we learnt from Foster that the eatery’s catering arm which has mushroomed with double-digit growth in its short existence, offers low-cost alternatives to caterers, and provides a diverse menu for a range of events from dinner parties to conference meetings.
Take a pictorial journey with us on our factory tour and lunch date, Tastee-style.
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With his boss VincentChang (left) besidehim, TasteeProduction ManagerBeresford Baileypoints out a containerof kidney suets — anadditive to the iconicpatty that keeps thedough firm. (PHOTOS:BRYAN CUMMINGS)
Gladstone Dawkins adds kidney suetsto the dough on the belt conveyorproduction line.
Ahead of an official tour of the Tastee factory, Food Awardsjudge Toni Spence (foreground) affixes a hairnet to her head asArnella Chin adjusts her net.
Food Awards judge Jodi Henriques bites into a beef patty.
Post-lunch, the judges weregifted with cans filled withTastee pastry treats thatincluded tarts, cupcakes,doughnuts and danishes.Food Awards judge Matthew Hogarth accepts agift can of Tastee pastries from Tastee directorSimone Chanpong.
Tastee’s fresh-from-the-oven patties.
TasteeBites
Romario Atkins butters the exterior of meatloaves as hisboss Simone Chanpong (centre) and Food Awards ChairNovia McDonald-Whyte look on.
As Tastee Production Manager Beresford Bailey (third left) introduces the factory touring party to Tastee boxed patties made for the Norman Manley InternationalAirport store, Two Mules and a Hamper, Annaleisa Lindsay (second left) shares her love for the patties she purchases there ahead of travelling.
Tastee uses fresh escallion in their legendary patties.
Super-hot vlogger Rushaine ‘Dutty’ Berry — a devotee ofTastee patties — was all too happy to bite into one alongsidecompany director Simone Chanpong.
It’s thumbs up for Tastee patty bites. Just ask Tastee Director Simone Chanpong (sixth left) andJamaica Observer Food Awards judges (from left) Christopher Reckord, Toni Spence, JodiHenriques, Arnella Chin, Matthew Hogarth, Patrick Smith, Novia McDonald-Whyte, RochelleCameron (partially hidden), Nevada Powe (partially hidden), Gabrielle Williams, CathrineKennedy, Oneal Johnson and Annaleisa Lindsay. (PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS)
TasteeBites
Tastee staffers Petrina Brown (left) and Althea Watson place patties onto a tin sheet.
TasteecounterclerkSamanthaSmith addscheese to apatty.
Meaty goodness is added to the patty dough on the conveyor production line.<br><br>
Tastee Chairman Vincent Chang (third left) and his Production Manager Beresford Bailey (left)explain the patty dough-making process to Jamaica Observer Food Awards Chair NoviaMcDonald-Whyte (right) and intrigued Food Awards judges (from second left) Toni Spence,Cathrine Kennedy, Oneal Johnson, Arnella Chin, Annaleisa Lindsay and Nevada Powe.
Tastee factory staffer Marcia Roberts dusts flour onto the patties coming down the conveyor belt.
Jamaica ObserverFood Awards ChairNMW shares lenstime with Tasteehead honcho VincentChang (left) andhis director wifeValerie during a visitto the couple’s CrossRoads factoryMonday afternoon.
