Walker's Wood, Ochos Rios

Within the lush, Tolkienesque hills of the parish of St Ann, is one of the most remarkable communities on the whole island. In the 1970s, faced with poverty, a lack of basic amenities, gross unemployment and constant migration of the area’s young people to Kingston, residents of the village banded together to form the Walker’s Wood Village Council, a group made up of representatives from local churches, schools, farms and other organisations in the area. The Council first set out to create a sustainable income-generating operation, and from this thrust, the Walker's Wood Caribbean Foods Company was born. Today, Walkerswood is best known locally and internationally for a line of seasoning, spices and condiments produced almost completely using local Jamaican ingredients, which are also supplied predominantly by farmers in the community. The employee-owned company is a model for community initiative, since over the years it has created for itself a niche in the gourmet foods market. At the same time it has provided the community within which it operates with income, stability and, most importantly, a future.

 

Famous For

 

The name of this small rural village has reached almost every corner of the globe, as the Walkerswood line of spices, seasonings and condiments has created a niche for its products in the international market. The most famous product, and deservingly so, is the Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning, an aromatic concoction of indigenous spices and seasonings that lends the zesty flavour of traditional jerk to just about any meat or fish dish. While the factory itself does not currently accommodate visitors, the complete line of Walkerswood products is available at just about any supermarket in Jamaica, and in Walker’s Wood at either of the grocers in the village square.

 

Don't Miss

 

The village centre itself is worth the trip to Walker’s Wood. The buildings that line the highway have a distinctly rural and tropical aura about them, complete with benches outside to sit, “labrish” and socialize with the people who pause as they carry on their daily business. Just outside the village centre is another worthwhile stop, the Walker’s Wood Farm and Craft Market across the street from the post office. The market, as the name suggests, sells farm produce and crafts from local farms and artisans.