BEET BODY

Shernette Sampson, a self-proclaimed ‘health nut,’ started her business by solving a personal problem. Being a plant-based eater with gluten and lactose sensitivities, Shernette had trouble finding a healthy drink to improve her cardiovascular performance for her workouts while also giving her a metabolic boost. After finding that a blend using beetroots gave her the required results, Shernette decided to share the ‘holy grail’ with others. This was the beginning of Shernette’s business, Beet Body.

Beet Body will be a brand of juices and products derived from vegetables. The company’s main product will be beetroot juice. Beet Body’s central focus will be to provide a high-performance natural drink to fitness buffs in a healthy way, in order to provide what is known as the “runner’s’ high”. This is a burst of energy due to the high concentration of nitrates found in beets, which improves muscle performance during exercise. Beetroot is even considered to be a secret formula of endurance for athletes.

The Beet Body brand will seek to differentiate itself from the competition by making juice from vegetables appealing to a younger target market by ensuring that the taste is more appealing and a palatable option in consumers’ daily diet. Shernette hopes to capitalize on the shift in consumer preferences for healthier foods and drinks conveniently packaged for easy consumption.

Beetroot, despite being a nutrient-rich food is one of the most underutilized crops grown in Jamaica. Beet Body will position itself to resolve this issue by “getting back to the roots” and undertaking post-harvest handling of beetroot – blending with other fruits and vegetables to create drinks and other value-added food products that will be distributed to the local and potentially the global marketplace.

One of Beet Body’s major goals is to produce fresh foods without compromise that is sustainably sourced from a multitude of small farms in Jamaica. As such, Beet Body also seeks to empower community transformation by playing a positive role through directly supporting Jamaica’s local farmers of vegetables. The company is also a part of the local movement with the hope of rebuilding Jamaica’s dwindling agro-processing industry to foster job creation and community development.