Baking bread and earning dough!

Ever think that it's impossible to 'have it all'? Sometimes, it seems that women experience such sentiments, more so than men. Maybe, it might be the result of society-ascribed gender roles that 'expect' women to 'juggle' their careers with motherhood, with career expected to be sacrificed for the sake of raising a family. Maybe, it might be die to a combination of that individual woman's personal background and life experiences which might propel her to accept that narrative as the gospel-truth. Maybe, it's time to prove those sentiments wrong...again!

In today's blog, we feature Kathleen Joseph. She is a mother, wife and director of a small enterprise based in Cunupia, central Trinidad. Apart from their son Samuel, her other 'baby' which she co-nurtures with her husband is their business, 'Trinibakes Limited'.

Of course, part of the business' name, 'bakes' gives a reasonable hint that they run an operation which caters to their customers' desire to purchase and enjoy quality baked products. Indeed, Trinibakes Limited specialises in the preparation of ready-made doughs for homemade breads, as well as what persons born or living in Trinidad and Tobago would call 'bakes'; otherwise known to the rest of the world as 'floats'.

Mind you, their present range of products is quite eclectic. They market frozen bread, bake and pastry dough. To wit, per their Facebook page, "Our products are frozen doughs that you defrost/proof and bake at home fresh. We have full directions on each pack so you can create perfect, warm bread every time. Our goal is to bring out the Baker in you!"

Likewise, apart from the traditional, ubiquitous white or 'butter bread', or popular coconut bake, or even wholewheat bread for the health-conscious customer, Joseph's Trinibakes also markets unconventional bread and bake flavours. Among their top sellers are the pink-hued beetroot and bhaji (bhagi or spinach), patchoi (pak choi), carrot and garlic, as well as basil and parsley. Depending on the time of year, interested customers might also be able to access feature combo packages, that would include coconut sweetbread, pastries and loaves of bread or dinner rolls... for a very reasonable price.

Now that we know so much about Trinibakes, let's find out a bit more about Kathleen! She and her husband conceptualized and launched Trinibakes...guess where? In their living room, on their coffee table, nine years ago! Clearly, they had a dream, and they worked together as a united team to make that dream a tangible reality.

Suffice to say, their efforts have not gone unnoticed within recent years. For example, in August 2020, the local Ministry of Trade and Industry awarded Trinibakes Limited, a grant of over $100,000.00 (One hundred thousand) TT dollars, under the Grant Fund Facility, in support of its strides as a small manufacturer in the food and beverage sector, marketing its frozen dough products for both retail and wholesale distribution.

Apart from distinguishing itself as a small enterprise, Trinibakes was praised by Paula Gopee-Scoon, the current line Minister with responsibility for Trade and Industry, on its use of indigenous raw materials in making their products, such as flour, spinach, pumpkin and coconut, by creating supply linkages with domestic farmers and flour manufacturers. The company also intended to use the grant money to promote greater efficiency and increased production capacity through the purchase of new machinery and equipment for its manufacturing process...in order to expand its local and international operations. Pretty impressive, right?

Kathleen's example is living proof that you can have it all as an entrepreneur and mother, under the Caribbean sun. She's blazed a further trail, now, the question is, will you do likewise?

Keywords:

LinkedIn Local Caribbean, Kathleen Joseph, Trinbakes Limited, entrepreneur, frozen dough