Barfi, Manzanilla Madness (coconut ice cream with bits of roasted peanuts and chocolate bits) and Chunky Fuh So (chocolate mixed with m&m’s, Oreos, chocolate syrup and chocolate chips) are the top three sellers on Dreamy Creamy’s “DC Signature” menu.

Long before the company opened its first outlet in 2010 at 143A Coffee Street, San Fernando (opposite KFC), the business plan for Dreamy Creamy included, at its core, the use of fresh, high quality ingredients to create ice creams with names that evoked memories of places and popular foods in Trinidad and Tobago (TT).

Business Day spoke with Dreamy Creamy’s Founder and Managing Director, Craig Smith, about his growing business which meets a previously unrecognised demand for ice cream flavours based on foods popular both in TT and across the Caribbean.

Seated in the company’s newest outlet in Gasparillo Mall, Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo, Smith recalled how his extended family’s “experience in the ice cream business” inspired his entrepreneurial dream.

“I grew up around ice cream and while my first business plan, created in 2005 while I was studying at Johnson and Wales University in Miami, was for a sports bar, I always knew I wanted to create and sell ‘Signature Flavour’ ice creams that (catered to) local tastes, using fresh ingredients rather than essence, and sourcing as much of them (ingredients) locally as possible to create a premium product.” After graduating from university and spending a few years working and travelling, in January 2009 Smith, with help from his brother Marc, began making ice cream in the Palmiste, San Fernando home of their father, Peter Smith. The company was formally established in late 2009 but it wasn’t until February 2010 that the Coffee Street outlet opened its doors.

Smith told Business Day he chose that location because “Coffee Street has a culture of people eating ice cream, often on the sidewalk or in their parked cars.” This culture also meant Smith did not need too much space for his first location; he could (and does) offer a ‘take-away only’ service at Coffee Street because people who buy ice cream there are rarely looking for a place to sit within the actual establishment.

Almost three years later, in late 2012, Smith decided to “experiment” with how his DC Signature flavours would do in an area not known for an ice cream culture – Debe, south Trinidad, a place with a reputation for selling some of the tastiest doubles, aloo pies and other savoury Indian foods.

“I found a small spot in the heart of Debe, along the SS Erin Road, very close to the doubles shed in the heart of the town. Debe was an experiment because I wanted to see how the area would ‘take’ to ice cream. Our (outlet) there is doing really well for what it is; take-away service. I’m sure if I found a larger space, like our (outlet) in Gasparillo, the business there (Debe) would grow,” Smith said.

Looking for a retail space large enough to offer seating for its customers, Dreamy Creamy opened its third outlet in Gasparillo in December 2015, shortly before Christmas. There are four tables with four chairs each and two bar seating areas, with two stools each.

Dreamy Creamy is known for its seasonal flavours, like Barfi, which proved to be such a big seller that it was added to the permanent list of available flavours on the premium DC Signature menu.

Looking to create a seasonal flavour for Divali 2014, Smith asked all employees, including his sister Kimberly Smith; who joined the company in mid-2010, to come up with ideas and funky names.

Kimberly, now General Manager of the company, thought barfi would make a great ice cream. Up to that point, Smith had been the sole person to experiment with recipes for flavour combinations people suggested to him but Kimberly came up with Dreamy Creamy’s Barfi recipe all on her own.

Three years prior to the creation of its Barfi flavour, Dreamy Creamy debuted three seasonal flavours for Christmas – Bailey’s, Ponche De Cr?me and Black Cake.

“These are only available… from the first week of November until maybe the first week of January. Our most popular is Black Cake. I think that’s because it (evokes) a true ‘Trini’ Christmas tradition and has pieces of black cake in it. Seasonal flavours are usually more costly to make than our DC Signature line, that’s why they are limited edition ice creams.” Three months ago, Dreamy Creamy raised its prices. Smith explained that, having absorbed rising costs for about three years, effective August 16 this year, there was a general price increase.

“This year, a lot of our suppliers raised their prices, mainly because of the shortage of US dollars. We import items such as m&ms, Reese’s and Oreo cookies for certain products.

The cost of ingredients really started going up in 2013, and some of our competitors raised their prices in September 2015, but we held off on a price increase for as long as possible because we wanted to penetrate the market.” Smith said the company has had “a lot more positive than negative feedback” on its Facebook page following the price increase.

In addition to ice cream, the family-owned company (Smith, Kimberly and their father, Peter, are all shareholders. Peter Smith is also a director) sells sundaes and milkshakes. The latter will be re-branded as DC Shakes in January 2017.

If a trip to one of its three locations is a bit out of the way for you, Dreamy Creamy’s ice creams are also available at JTA Supermarkets, Blooms Imports in Diego Martin, Artie’s Meats in Maraval, Cascade Mini Mart, Joe’s Pizza in Diego Martin and St Augustine, and coming soon to Pizza Boys’ locations throughout Trinidad.

After their impressive victory in the Emerging Entrepreneurs category of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s 2016 Champions of Business Award ceremony, the duo behind d’Market Movers are basking in the afterglow of their success. And with good reason.

Renie said the Barataria-based company, established seven years ago, has grown exponentially since receiving the prestigious award.

They are grateful for the support and encouragement of their faithful cheerleaders, whom, they believe, played a monumental role in their victory.

“We have had an influx of new online customers which we are very grateful for as well as interest from other businesses who would like to use us to help distribute their brands through our online sales platform and tap into new market segments,” an excited Renie told Business Day.

Renie said they also intend to use the victory to propel their mission of becoming a leader in both agri-business and E-Commerce in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the region.

Also in the pipeline for the Barataria-based company, she said, are plans to take their Farm & Function, Frozen Fruit brand across a global market.

One of three entrepreneurs short-listed for the prestigious award at the recent gala function at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s, d’Market Movers came up against some stiff competition in their category.

Cocobel Chocolate Limited, founded by Isabel Brash, became a force to be reckoned with in the industry after just seven years in business while the designing company, Anya Ayoung Chee Limited, led by the former 2008 Miss TT Universe contestant and winner of the US television show Project Runway, remains a major player on the fashion circuit.

Renie admitted they were somewhat daunted by their challengers.

Asked what accounted for their victory, she initially joked, “Our winning personalities, maybe.” On a serious note, though, Renie surmised that the innovativeness of the service they offered led to their success.

“We feel that our service impacts and enhances the lives of all our clients in a positive way and that definitely shone through. The level of innovation within our service and how we communicate with our customers was a major strong point.” She said, too, that the duo’s background and journey into business, resonated with many people.

“I think many people could identify with our story of taking that leap into the unknown without a large deal of backing,” Renie said.

Pioneers in their own right, Renie and Thomas were employees at a commercial bank when they decided to venture into business, seven years ago.

Observing that their colleagues were often too bogged down with work to search for the fresh products they yearned for daily, the team began taking orders at their office for fresh fish and seasonings, which were sourced mostly from Thomas’ hometown in Las Cuevas and Renie’s family green house in Piarco. Thomas and Renie also had shared a love for food and cooking with fresh ingredients – a passion which impressed their clients.

Combining health and convenience, d’ Market Movers has turned what many may consider to be a mundane activity – supplying fruits, vegetables and other healthy commodities – into a blossoming local empire.

The hallmark of their operation, Thomas said, has been the fact that clients no longer needed to worry about where to get the best, reasonablypriced produce: the company offers fresh delivery literally on one’s doorstep.

This facility is what he believes has underpinned d’Market Movers’ success.

At its inception, seven years ago, though, Thomas and Renie had toyed with the idea of opening “a traditional brick and mortar business,” but quickly dismissed the idea in favour of an on-line establishment because of the huge cost that would likely have been associated with such a move.

Thomas and Renie said they were prepared for the challenge given the limited number of online businesses within TT at that time.

They also observed that there were no online agri-businesses at the time they launched the business in TT.

The duo’s hard work, sacrifice and determination has paid off and they are now revelling in their phenomenal success.

“We were overwhelmed with joy and a bit surprised at first because we knew we were up against some strong female entrepreneurs,” Renie said of the award.

“But once it did sink in, we did feel a sense of validation that all of our hard work and dedication was being recognised. We also discovered that people found our story very inspirational and that made us very grateful.” Thomas and Renie, who received prizes from bmobile and Angostura as well as trophies and other accolades for their victory, told Business Day they enjoyed a solemn celebration with some of their closest friends and family.

“We did take a toast. Everyone was beaming with pride and support and reminded us that this was a moment we should cherish but it was also the beginning of the next phase in our careers and business that would require even more dedication and responsibility

#LikeAGirlTT ambassadors Selisa Jessamy, 21, a special needs teacher and student from Calder Hall, and Chelsea Ramjit, 22, a drama teacher from Pointe-?-Pierre, participated on a panel led by Nicole Joseph-Chin, a social entrepreneur and a leading voice for female empowerment.

To provoke discussion at the November 9 event, the students first watched a short play performed by April McClashie and Jameel Passie on the potential negative impact of misusing social media, a topic that has gained global attention and can affect the health and education of young girls.

Like A Girl, which is an international initiative that seeks to empower girls during puberty when they feel their most vulnerable, was introduced locally in early June 2016. Five nominees were chosen, with one woman being selected to serve as a #LikeAGirlTT Ambassador through an online voting process open to the public and two others selected by a panel of judges. Justine Low, 25, a branding and events co-ordinator from Maraval, was the most popular candidate based on the online voting process.

Evangeline Kalloo-Ramdwar, business unit head—Procter & Gamble, Alstons Marketing Company Limited (AMCO), a local distributor of the Always brand, said in a media release that AMCO remains committed to supporting initiatives that empower communities.

“We are pleased that we were able to introduce the Like A Girl programme in Trinidad and Tobago. We want to help build confidence and self-worth in our nation’s youth and needless to say, I think that the best and most effective solution to empower young girls is through such dialogues,” Kalloo-Ramdwar said.

In addition to the Scarborough Secondary School, the ambassadors visited the Barrackpore West Secondary School on November 8 as part of their schools’ tour. Over 300 female students gathered in the auditorium of the school located in south Trinidad to listen, not only to the ambassadors’ challenges and how they overcame them, but also their discussion on using education to empower themselves through creating wealth and leadership opportunities.

For more about the local Like A Girl movement visit the Facebook page, Instagram @likagirltt or the website at likeagirltt.com.

The officers interacted with hundreds of pupils and focused on the importance of road safety and adherence to traffic laws.

Pupils were excited to learn about the many opportunities that await them upon reaching the legal age for driving.

Most of the participants took away the popular tag line as it relates to seat belt safety” “Click it, or Ticket”.

This initiative forms part of the Ministry’s of Works and Transport’s stakeholder engagement strategy, which aims to educate and empower all road users.’

Speaking at the UNC’s Monday Night Forum at the El Dorado North Hindu Primary school, the UNC political leader asked supporters if their lives were better off under her former government or under the current regime.

“After 14 moths have you seen anything better to the quality of your life delivered by the Rowley Government,” she asked, to which the crowd responded, “No!” She alleged that the PNM government has broken 50 promises made during the campaign trail prior to the September 15, 2015 general election. Backed up by the chorus of Lord Nelson’s classic ‘King Liar’, Persad-Bissessar listed nine of the 50 broken promises.

She said a PNM promise to reduce VAT had actually ended up with 12.5 percent VAT being added to 7,000 food items that she had previously zero-rated, (although the PNM reduced the VAT rate from 15 percent before). The second PNM promise she scoffed at as broken was the timely settlement of all Public Service wage negotiations. Thirdly she queried the PNM’s vow to strengthen the Police Service.

Next she said that in contrast to the UNC’s record of regularising squatters at places like Bangladesh, Windy Hill and Jacob Hill, she said the PNM has failed in its promise to ensure squatters get security of tenure, plus State loans and grants. Fifth, she hit the PNM’s promise of a rise in the stipend to On The Job (OJT) trainees. She scoffed at the PNM’s promise to equip all schools for technological innovation, as she hit, “Every laptop stop! They even cut the School Feeding Programme and cut the fruit.” Noting a $3 million cost to buy Cazabon paintings and a $500,000 cost to break down a prime minister’s residence in Tobago, she asked in all of this did children get anything to eat? Saying drinks were cut from the School feeding Programme, she hit, “If you child is eating a school meal and he starts to choke, you now who to blame”. Recalling the PNM’s promise to create a Sports Institute and a Young leadership Development Institute, she quipped, “That is lie”.

While the PNM had promised to keep GATE accessible to all citizens, she hit, “They shut the GATE!” Ninth, she hit the PNM’s running of the economy, including the decline of the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund, on Monday dropping to US$5.4 billion.

She lamented that the Board of Management of this fund has no wealth management experts, but only academics and public servants.

Persad-Bissessar lamented that the PNM Government will implement the Property Tax, from January, on persons whether or not they have a job, and which she said will be costlier than elsewhere in the world.

“They are giving you pension in one hand, and then taking it back with the other.” She said the tax is very unfair on persons who scrimped over the years to buy a house bit by bit, only now to face this tax in their latter years. “How are you going to pay the Property Tax,”she asked aloud. Saying the PP had given out food card to all regardless of party loyalty, she said the PNM had wrongly claimed the UNC only gave to UNC members. Persad-Bissessar alleged that the PNM operatives in Siparia are trying to buy votes, she warned that any buyer or seller of votes is committing a crime and can be jailed. “If you don’t want to get locked up, don’t take the bribe.”

Rowley made the promise on Monday night during a public meeting of his People’s National Movement (PNM) party at Samuel Junction, Basseterre, Moruga in the lead-up to next Monday’s Local Government election.

“We intend to make Moruga the central pillar along the south coast,” Rowley said. He added the initiative to establish the port which, in turn, will encourage greater production by fishermen, will help reduce the current $4 billion food import bill.

Moruga, he said, can produce $200 million in fish for the local market.

Rowley told supporters that the establishment of a new port also has the potential of facilitating the illegal drug trade.

“We intend to spend a lot of money ensuring that it does not become another drug port in Trinidad,” he said. The prime minister also challenged the residents to make use of the readily available soil and space to grow crops for use in agro processing.

Pigeon peas, he says, is imported from Santo Domingo and this must change.

He told farmers that Government will ensure their products fetch a good price on the local market and the excess is exported.

Rowley also signalled Government’s intention to invest more in the lumber industry saying that this country’s teak and pine, planted by colonial masters, are of such good quality that they are in demand internationally.

He said instead of exporting the teak logs, furniture can be made for export. Government, Rowley said, will create two nurseries where tens of thousands of seedlings will be planted. “In ten to 15 years we will have lumber to the tune of millions of dollars coming out of Moruga,” he said.

“Soursop, sorrel and guava are very much in fashion and in demand in north Trinidad. There are no fields of these products in Trinidad that I know of,” he said, adding that the pink guava of Cuba is a good product to grow in TT. Rowley again lashed out at Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar who recently called on him to account for the discovery, by Customs officers, of $2 million in a container allegedly brought in by a close friend of his.

“She calling on me to account.

But if I respond to her tonight, we will get another editorial saying that we are not talking the issues,” he said. “The same way you know who bringing the money and is my friend, I suspect you know who bringing the marijuana in the chicken.” He questioned whether it was coincidence that police officers investigating the discovery of a plant-like substance at Persad-Bissessar’s private residence in Phillipine, South Trinidad, have been promoted.

Rowley said Government is also making moves to ensure that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) becomes this country’s final court of appeal in both civil and criminal matters. “We agreed with the (Basdeo) Panday government of the UNC (United National Congress) that we should make the final court of appeal here.

With the help of the PNM, we were successful in bringing the Caribbean Court of Justice to Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain.

When the Kamla UNC came in power, that was the end of the Caribbean Court of Justice.”

A shotgun and quantity of marijuana were later found inside the pig pen, while nearby, a pistol and 67 rounds of ammunition were also found and seized.

According to reports at about 2 pm officers under the supervision of Snr Superintendent Radcliff Boxhill, led by ASP Ajith Persad including Ag Sgt Anthony Williams and PCs Taylor, Perkins and Persad along with other officers went to Warren Road, Cunupia and saw ten persons liming in the vicinity of the pig pen.

Officers began searching the suspects and allegedly found a 9 mm pistol with a quantity of ammunition. A further check inside the pig pen resulted in the seizure of one kilo of marijuana and a shotgun along with a quantity of assorted ammunition.

A Caroni man who had gone to the area to sell a cow was detained along with the ten suspects but was eventually released.

The same team of officers then went to the San Juan area where they detained a 26-year-old man who was found to be in possession of a Glock pistol along with a magazine and eight rounds of ammunition. All 11 suspects were taken to the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) where they were being questioned up until yesterday.

Police believe that the suspects detained were involved in criminal activities and the sale of drugs and illegal weapons.

The exercise formed part of an anti-crime initiative by officers of the Port-of-Spain CID to deal with crime and illicit activities throughout the country. Police believe that with the arrest of the 11 suspects they may be able to make a major breakthrough in a series of crimes in the Central Division and the East West Corridor.

Speaking yesterday after the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) hosted Knowledge Synthesis and Best Practices workshop, at the Hyatt Regency, Deyalsingh said by 2020 they can reach the 90-90-90 target. This mean to ensure that 90 percent of the infected are tested and diagnosed, getting 90 percent of those who are diagnosed on treatment with antiretroviral drugs, and aiming to have at least 90 percent of those infected attain an undetectable level of virus in their bodies (essentially a functional cure).

“Right now that figure is 75 percent, so we are not far from achieving that. Off that percentage would know their status, and should be on treatment, 90 percent of those by 2020 having been aggressively treated should have their viral loads suppression down to a point where they can be considered free of the virus, that is the challenging bit, we are about 50 percent there from now,” Deyalsingh explained.

He said the workshop this morning (yesterday) brings together the experts in the field to drive the 90-90-90 target. Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer, stated that, “the workshop will avoid routine training presentations and instead focus on encouraging Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) and National AIDS Programme (NAP) managers to work together through highly interactive knowledge sharing sessions.

“We are placing emphasis on sustainability of HIV programming.

It is imperative that all CSO and NAP Managers be equipped with tools necessary for sustaining such programmes through greater efficiencies and cost effectiveness.” Meanwhile, Executive Director, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition Dr J Carolyn Gomes indicated that civil society plays a critical role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in attempting to get the 90-90-90 target.

She said before there were national AIDS committees, Ministry of Health evolvement, civil society was providing the support, care, treatment, consoling, information and even information to people suffering from HIV and dying from Aids at that time.

“They are now providing not only consultation, caring, information and testing services but also in some cases are providing treatment. There can be no doubt that we will not be able to move forward effectively to end AIDS, to even reach the 90-90-90 that is the target that would allow us to end AIDS if we do not involve on an equal and respectful basis the knowledge, experience, and skills that civil society can bring to the table to reach the vulnerable population,” she said.

Garcia had however pointed out the Centre would only be made available once approval was granted by Social Development and Family Services Minister Cherrie- Ann Crichlow-Cockburn.

Parents were however informed that the centre had been deemed unsuitable as the building did not have statutory approval for use as a school.

Parents Teachers Association (PTA) president Larry Dilchan, yesterday said the Education Ministry’s chief executive officer Heeralal Seecharan, together with other school supervisors, “advised us that the enrichment centre is no longer an option…that the building did not have statutory approval and that the Social Development Ministry was not willing to release the building for such use.” “So we are now looking for a short term option for housing the school. We don’t have any as yet confirmed. It’s back to square one,” he said, adding the process of investigating a mysterious rash outbreak among students would be expedited so they would not have to seek alternative accommodations.

Asked about the mood of parents following yesterday’s meeting, Dilchan said, “parents were very disappointed, people’s hopes were raised after the Minister’s visit and they are now disappointed and despondent because we are left still trying to find a place for the children in the short term.” “It appears we will not have any school for the rest for the week,” Dilchan said, adding that the Ministry had once again suggested the old Couva West government secondary school to temporarily house the students.

Though there was one request for a recount, Brother Resistance, and all the successful candidates for the various posts in the organisation, are to be congratulated for holding a vibrant, democratic election exercise. It is important that cultural stakeholder organisations be accountable to the people whom they represent, in addition to taxpayers at large. TUCO gets an annual subvention of between $8 million to $10 million.

The newly-minted TUCO executive will have several challenges in the years ahead. The relevance of calypso – once regularly hailed as our national art form – continues to be questioned at a time when soca continues to break new ground.

Still, judging from the PNM’s recent 60th anniversary calypso competition, there continues to be an appetite for traditional calypso.

Also, internationally, our calypsonians continue to be well received.

Calypso Rose is enjoying a stellar year, recently being featured prominently in the UK press and also being reviewed alongside the likes of Lady Gaga in publications down under in Australia. (The Australian called Rose “a feisty performer who has overcome a debilitating stammer, cancer and heart attacks in an eventful life.”) The question is, how can this calypso be revitalised and repurposed? And what is TUCO’s role in this exercise. These are not just academic questions. These issues go to the heart of our diversification project as well as to our cultural values.

TUCO should continue to provide support to artists in terms of copyright matters and consider widening its role to ensure that it becomes a force that promotes and protects.

The organisation must also get behind initiatives that preserve calypso history, be it through archives or private collections. It must become a vital conduit for the wide body of people all over the world who are keeping the tradition alive and who are preserving records of its heyday. TUCO must not be about Carnival alone. It must find ways to have the artists who want to make a contribution do so. The organisation must play a role in training and education. It must be allowed to partner with schools and youth organisations.

TUCO must also further academic work examining the history of the art form as well as its various social permutations.

But beyond elections and political party fetes, the real lifeblood of the art form is the music itself and the people who practise it. TUCO must be praised for its advocacy over the years.

At the same time, we welcome indications that two of the major projects in the 2016 to 2019 period will be bringing to the fore a medical plan and a credit union.

These measures are likely to need the involvement of the corporate community and support from relevant government ministries. They should be balanced with adequate levels of transparency and full accountability.

The efforts to clamp down on payment of membership dues should continue.

In the coming weeks, TUCO will also have to look at the format of its calypso shows, particularly Dimanche Gras. The economic downturn is also an opportunity for TUCO to focus on sustainability and to experiment with creative forms of community engagement.

It is not all doom and gloom after this election.