Jamaican actor and co-founder of the Busha Browne Company, Winston Stona, has died. He was 82.
Stona introduced Jamaican jerk seasonings to the U.S. through Busha Browne, the Kingston, Jamaica-based company he co-founded in the late 1970s.
He attended the London School of Economics and came back in the 1960s to be Jamaica’s assistant director of tourism. He got involved in building and promoting the Jamaican fashion industry in the U.S. and England, working from 6 a.m. to midnight, traveling constantly. After tiring of the schedule, he moved back Jamaica to his family property where they grew sugar cane, bananas, and coconuts.
In the 1970s, he was persuaded by a European Union official to study value-added products on the island. He realized they had world-class ginger, allspice, pineapple, and Scotch bonnet pepper, but were not developing any of it into finished products. He was inspired to go into agri-business and formed Busha Browne.
The company’s high-end, all-natural sauces and condiments are made from fresh fruits and vegetables grown by small farmers on the island, prepared and bottled in small batches.
After selling the company to Associated Manufacturers Limited, the brand continued to grow and diversify beyond sauces and seasonings. Stona acted as a consultant for Busha Browne as well as for Walkerswood, a lower-priced, Caribbean line.
He also starred in the movies The Harder They Come and Cool Runnings. Stona received a Specialty Food Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
“Winston was a charismatic and passionate advocate for authentic foods from Jamaica. He had wonderful products, but his personality was his most powerful asset, making him both a specialty food icon and a fast friend to many across the industry,” said Chris Crocker, former vice president and publisher at the Specialty Food Association.