Today we’d like to introduce you to Naijean Bernard.
Naijean, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The story of Jeany’s Ginger Elixir begins with the birth of my maternal grandmother in 1909. As a child, I would visit her in the summer. One of my favorite memories are her homemade bread and juices made fresh from her garden.
Years later, when I moved to Austin, I started making the juices from memory for friends at weekly potlucks. My friends enjoyed them so much and encouraged me to start selling them. In Spring 2016, I started selling the juices at pop up events and later, at a downtown farmer’s market. The demand kept on increasing. We are now in the bottling and distribution phase. We are working with a high-pressure pasteurization company in Katy, TX so that we can sell the elixirs locally and nationwide via e-commerce.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth process. Roadblocks have included raising the funds to pay for a co-packer and the pasteurization process. Also, the cost of the FDA food validation study is around $10,000 to $17.000 which is not impossible to come up with, but at times seems daunting.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jeany’s Ginger Elixir story. Tell us more about the business.
Jeany’s Ginger Elixir is a Caribbean inspired beverage company based on our maternal grandmother’s recipes. We use local, sustainable ingredients whenever possible. What sets us apart is the strong, fresh taste of our most popular ginger flavor, the Classic Ginger. It is non-carbonated and never heats pasteurized. It is intense, bold and refreshing, with lots of health benefits as well.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see our product being distributed in local stores across the southwest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jeanysgingerelixir.com
- Phone: 5128644515
- Email: info@jeanysgingerelixir.com
- Instagram: @jeanysgingerelixir
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeanysgingerelixir
Image Credit:
Naijean Bernard
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