Growth & Jobs | A victory ‘Taylor-made’ for 2025 CB PAN Chicken Champion

BY THE time April Taylor was 13 years old, she was already operating her own jerk business in her community in Spanish Town, St Catherine, selling chicken after school to earn an income and sharpen her culinary skills.

That entrepreneurship exposure and her love for food, along with being inspired by her mother’s cookouts, have ushered her into national recognition as the winner of the 2025 CB PAN Chicken Championships held at Jamaica College recently.

Taylor, operator of The Passion’s Kitchen, with assistance from Craig Townsend, business partner, impressed the judges with her bold sorrel-infused flavour pan chicken, that set her apart in the annual street-food showdown, where some of Jamaica’s best pan chicken vendors faced off.

“I felt grateful to God, because on this journey it was guided by faith for me to even be on that stage to begin with. I just had a posture of worship when I heard my name before even stepping forward,” she said reflecting on her triumph.

She won $1 million from CB Foods, a year’s supply of CB chicken, a year’s supply of bread from National Baking Company, $100,000 from JN Money, among other prizes.

The event saw 32 pan chicken vendors and six Copperwood pan pork vendors competing for the coveted titles of best pan chicken and best pan pork. Second and third place winners were Mobolji Bryan of St Elizabeth and Adrian Walker of Hanover. Hundreds of people turned out for the event which was staged under the theme ‘Roots, Rock & Ready Chicken’.

Taylor remembers being fascinated by the competition from childhood.

“I went to my first PAN event on my 10th birthday. When I saw everything at that event, I wanted to be a part of the culinary experience and that passion has guided me,” related Ms Taylor, who is now 25 years old.

“I wanted to have my own money. I would save my money, buy chicken back and after school I would have a pan of my own and be a vendor in my community. I remember one night the police came and asked me how old I was. My mother was there, and I told them I was 13. They were very impressed, commended me, and bought chicken from me,” she pointed out.

Taylor operates the pan chicken business at the corner of Lacey Road and O’Hare Road in Franklin Town in East Kingston on Fridays along with her business partner, and an online catering service accessible on Instagram: the passionskitchen, Tiktok: April_sunflower19 and Facebook: the_passionskitchen. The business venture has garnered recognition through social media promotions and catering for small events.

She subsequently pursued a bachelor’s degree in the culinary arts in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Technology, Jamaica. She further sharpened her culinary skills during a one-year internship with the American Hospitality Academy at Frenchman’s Creek Beach and Country Club in Florida.

Taylor entered this year’s competition after seeing the promotion on social media.

“When I saw the competition being advertised on Instagram, I was instantly drawn to it because I’m very passionate about the food industry. I signed up as soon as I saw it.”

EFFORT PAID OFF

Her preparation was intense. She immersed herself in perfecting recipes and experimenting with timing to determine the various degrees of juiciness, until the grill became second nature. That effort has now paid off handsomely.

She anticipates new opportunities opening up having won the championship.

“I’m seeing new avenues for my brand to be highlighted both locally and internationally. I’m already getting enquiries about my brand, Passions Kitchen. I see a field of abundance coming in. I see myself eventually having a bistro and a café. I envision myself with products on supermarket shelves, also going global with my testimony and evangelism for God, who has taken me this far,” Taylor said with optimism.

She credits JN Bank for playing a role in her entrepreneurial journey. A small business loan from the institution enabled her to execute a pop-up kitchen idea earlier this year. She also commended JN Money, a sponsor of the competition, for the financial management presentation at the workshop she participated in during the preliminary round of the competition.

“I have things written down from that workshop session that I’m intending to integrate into my greater business plan moving forward,” she noted.

For future competitors, Taylor’s advice is straightforward: preparation begins long before the competition date.

“If you know about PAN and you want to be a part of PAN next year, it’s not next year that you start preparing. Get started from now. You want to understand the dynamics of jerk, know what makes jerk authentic and put in the practice to know what it takes to make the perfect sauce.”

Sanya Wallace-Innerarity, assistant general manager – strategy, marketing and sales, JN Money Services, commended Taylor’s accomplishment.

“What Ms Taylor has achieved goes beyond the competition. Her win is a victory for her community and a reminder of what is possible when talent is matched with opportunity. At JN Money, we are honoured to celebrate her success, and we are delighted to support her as she continues to build Passion’s Kitchen into a well-recognised brand,” said Wallace-Innerarity.

“JN Money has been proud to sponsor the PAN Chicken Competition for the past eight years because it aligns with our commitment to support local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Events like this celebrate Jamaican talent and provide vendors with the exposure and resources they need to take their businesses to the next level,” she maintains.