‘Say Hello to Bello’

Peter Dominique, Financial Controller of Parry W Bellot & Co Ltd, a Dominican company, captured the attention of his audience last Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with his catchy phrase “Say Hello to Bello.”  Dominique was at the time delivering the feature address at the formal launch of Bello products into Trinidad and Tobago. These products include concentrates: guava, passion fruit and lime, passion fruit and tamarind for juices, jelly preserves made out of guava, orange, grapefruit, passion fruit and lime pepper, old fashion cocoa tea, Cafe Dominique, and bay rum lotion. But most important to them is their famous award winning pepper sauce.

Export Manager Ann Baptiste, who is Trinidadian, said that the launch was in keeping with the strengthening of trade in the region given the coming into effect of the CSME. Also, as a consultant attached to the OECS Export Development Unit where it has been mandated by the organisation to prepare companies from the region to be ready for export, Baptiste conducted a market research in Trinidad and soon found the market for the Bello products. She promised as well that there will be an increase in Bello products to these shores later this year, since the company has quite a wide range to offer the local market. Bello is a Dominican manufacturing company started some 60 years ago by Cecil Bellot. The company changed ownership in the 80’s when Bellot’s secretary Vantil Fagan bought the business upon the founder’s death. She however chose to retain the name.

Throughout the years, Bello has experimented with many kinds of fruits. Bello packed fresh fruit for export to England, Bermuda and other countries. These fruits included mangoes, oranges and grapefruits. Limes were shipped to London, crushed in bulk containers for use in popular punches and dish-washing liquids. At this present time, Bello is diversifying into the smoked meat industry. On display at the launch were a number of gift packs which they offer, including a stylish wooden gift pack on which they are working towards having certified by HAACP (Production Inspection) to meet all international manufacturing and importation standards.  In 2000, Bello was a Scovie Award winner for its pepper sauce.