Growth & Jobs | Likkle Jerky, big dreams

Syrena ‘Likkle Jerky’ Jackson may have started small, but there has never been anything little about her dream.

Today, that ambition is taking shape through Likkle Jerky, her growing mobile PAN business serving customers at various locations, events and pop-ups across the Corporate Area. For Jackson, however, the business represents more than selling good food; it is an opportunity to build something of her own and create a future from a passion she discovered as a child.

“Food has always been more than just cooking for me; it brings people together and creates memories. I started jerking chicken around the age of nine, and what began as something I simply enjoyed eventually became something I realised could create a future for me. I decided to take that passion seriously and see how far it would take me,” she shared.

Even the name Likkle Jerky speaks to the size of her beginnings, rather than the size of her ambition.

“The name Likkle Jerky represents exactly where I started — small, but with a big vision. ‘Likkle’ represents my humble beginnings, while ‘Jerky’ represents the food that started my journey. Today it’s Likkle Jerky, but my vision is to grow it into something much bigger,” she said.

Jackson’s determination recently caught the attention of CB Chicken after she shared her story on the popular Sim Soul Sessions. During the interview, she spoke openly about the realities of building her business with limited resources, while also sharing her commitment to quality and why CB Chicken remains her chicken of choice for the customers she serves.

Her story and authentic connection to the brand resonated with the CB Chicken team, which reached out to support the continued growth of Likkle Jerky.

Jackson was presented with CB Chicken and Copperwood Pork products, along with a PAN kit including a jerk pan, aprons, hats, uniforms and menu board to support her growing operation.

For CB Chicken, her story reflects the entrepreneurial spirit that has long been at the heart of Jamaica’s PAN community.

“What stood out to us about Syrena was how genuine her passion was. She wasn’t waiting for everything to be perfect, she was already out there, working with what she had and building something for herself,” said Samantha Fisher, assistant brand manager at CB Foods. “That kind of drive is something we wanted to support. Behind every PAN is a hardworking entrepreneur with a dream, and we’ve always believed in supporting the people behind the PAN. Syrena represents the next generation helping to shape Jamaica’s food culture, and we’re excited to stand behind her as she continues to grow.”

Building Likkle Jerky has not been without its challenges. Limited resources have meant growing the business one step at a time, but Jackson says the experience has taught her the importance of persistence.

“I’ve had moments when I’ve questioned myself, but I’ve also had moments that reminded me why I started. I’m not only building a business; I’m learning and growing into the person I need to be to achieve my goals. Success doesn’t happen overnight; you have to keep going even before you see the results.”

Throughout it all, her mother, Kaydia Forbes, has remained one of her biggest supporters.

“I have always supported her because I’ve seen how hard she works. I’ve watched her struggle, sacrifice and still get up every day and keep going,” Forbes shared. “Watching that little girl who loved cooking grow up and turn her passion into a business makes me extremely proud.”

For Jackson, receiving the additional support is both practical and personal.

“I started Likkle Jerky with a dream, not a lot of resources. So, having a company like CB Chicken believe in my journey gives me even more motivation to keep pushing,” she said. “I hope my story shows other young people that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. Sometimes all you need is the courage to start with what you have.”

Jackson is already looking ahead. Her ultimate goal is to take Likkle Jerky from a mobile operation to its very own food truck, allowing her to reach even more customers and continue building the business she first imagined as a child.

For Fisher, the hope is that the support helps Jackson move closer to the bigger vision she has for Likkle Jerky.

“I think the best outcome for us would be to look back a few years from now and see that Likkle Jerky isn’t so ‘likkle’ anymore,” Fisher said. “Syrena already has the ambition and she’s doing the work. If our support makes that next step a little easier and gets her closer to the food truck she’s dreaming about, we’ll be incredibly proud to have played a small part. Building sustainable businesses and empowering people is part of who we are and, ultimately, that’s the kind of impact we want to contribute to.”

For now, Syrena Jackson’s taking it one step, one customer and one PAN at a time — proof that something “little” can be the beginning of something much bigger.