Del Mano Food

com), Grosberg has sought to fi ll a void in a niche market: local sausage production.

Sourcing superior ingredients as best he can, Del Mano’s products contain anti biotic free meat, are free of preservatives, and come in classic flavours (Rusti c Italian, Spicy Chorizo) and locally-inspired variations such as Curry Goat and Geera Pork.

“Sometimes I’m just eating something and a memory’s triggered or a pairing comes to mind,” Grosberg says of the combination of flavours and their creation. He likens the trial and error process to trying to recreate a known and loved dish compactly in a sausage, while highlighting celebrated local ingredients and demands from his client base.

But Del Mano’s start was tamer than its meaty product line today.

Grosberg recalls his company’s inception coinciding with starting a kitchen garden. “I was growing a variety of herbs and at harvest time I had to make use of them; I was brought up not to be wasteful!” Del Mano’s first product was a line of pesto, a popular Italian ready-to-eat sauce based typically on basil and olive oil, which sold out his first time at a local farmers’ market – he’s been moving forward ever since.

An engineer graduate, as a student he recalls a sense of longing to change the world amidst obstacles of the global financial crisis and a shortage of jobs in foreign markets. “I also had some experience on an oil refinery where corporate greed and carelessness for the environment left a sour taste in my mouth.” At this time he was introduced to our local cocoa industry, which led him on a path of exploration of progressive ideas surrounding food production and the environment.

These ideas inspired him, and reminded him of his childhood love for food and the kitchen.

Producing his line of pesto sauces helped him get a firmer grip and understanding of our local industry, but Del Mano’s expansion was not yet done. After his exposure to cocoa, he saved up and traveled to Europe where he volunteered his time on two farms in Ireland and Italy; here he first came upon artisanal or handmade food production. The work was not only enjoyable but he felt a deep sense of pride and fulfullment in it.

“I was passionate about it and knew it was a field where I could make a difference,” he comments on the first rumblings of what Del Mano is today. “Once I was exposed to the meat side of things in Europe, [the industry] felt more compelling,” he explains, adding that he saw an opportunity in our local market and decided to reach for it.

But the process was not an easy one and he struggled to find the proper resources on how to develop and introduce a product to the market, as well as the back end tasks of setting up a business.

He remembers this as a frustrating ti me and laments the lack of infrastructure to facilitate true local business diversification may be a deterrent to hopeful business startups.

“I believe a lot of the infrastructure is simply not there to facilitate the growth of small businesses such as Del Mano; there are major challenges at every step in the process and sometimes the easy fi x is not something that is beneficial to the country in the long run,” he says of the obstacles faced when ensuring above the board business practices.

Despite the challenges, he has found a sense of fulfillment in his work. However, he comments on the sense of mediocrity, or our local acceptance of “taking things as they are” among many of our industries, but insists he strives for perfection in his work. He’d rather not sell substandard offerings than compromise his standards for Del Mano products “It’s an issue daily, maintaining the quality; I’m constantly tasting and refining recipes, ensuring suppliers don’t slip up, hunting for new, unique, or better ingredients, tasting everything, and trusting my own instinct,” he says of the list of tasks he must keep on top of.

He prides himself on using anti biotic free meat, much unlike most commercial meat on the market nowadays in which anti biotic treatments are the norm to prevent the animals getting sick in low welfare and overcrowded conditions.

One of the consequences of such is the buildup of anti biotic resistant bacteria in humans who consume such meat. Grosberg describes emerging smaller meat producers who rear their animals to a higher humane standard, where the meat for Del Mano sausages is sourced.

“These animals are typically slower growing breeds and at the end of the day produce a better tasting product with less impact on the environment.” His herbs are also fresh, spices are purchased whole, and he produces the majority of his inventions inhouse.

“It’s my name on the product and I stand by it,” he says proudly, iterating that one of the brand’s slogans “no junk, no nonsense” is quite literal; he is involved in every part of the production process and can ensure this promise.

For the fast-approaching Christmas season, he shares that a variety of seasonal sausage flavours will be available, including Garlic Pork, Pastelle, and Turkey & Sorrel.

He usually carries between eight to 12 flavours of his handmade sausages at any given ti me, but for the Christmas season this can expand to as many as twenty. “It’s an indulgent ti me, a ti me to share and be generous, so I try to have my seasonal flavours reflect that,” he says of his hyper awareness of what his client base responds to most.

He also shares that his Christmas gift sets will be making a comeback this year and he is working on new package sizes.

Next on his agenda is also a line of poultry flavours, and he says sneakily “there is always something simmering on a back burner” of his continuous product expansion. He also hopes that his products can inspire further Trini creativity and tenacity through new recipe ideas and our all-too-familiar “food is love” mentalities in the Caribbean. He says, “We have very special things here that the world would be better off for tasting and enjoying. If Del Mano can help contribute to that, I would be happy.”