JAMAICA STANDARD PRODUCTS COMPANY

The factory may not look like much, but it's here that one of the world's finest coffees, Blue Mountains Coffee, is made from beans picked one by one according to strict rules in the high Jamaican mountains in the center of the island. The days devoted to roasting are the most interesting, as you can witness the entire coffee-making process. A modest sales stand offers Blue Mountains coffee at a much more attractive price than the supermarkets - a good deal. We advise you to call ahead to let us know you're coming, so as to avoid end-of-month inventory closures. Founded in Kingston on September 17, 1942 by Leslie Minott, the company began by exporting Jamaican spices to Great Britain and the United States. During the war years, with exports suspended, the company turned to bottling syrup. In 1943, the founder decided to settle in Mandeville and began producing pimento oil, which he exported to the European perfume industry. Coffee production did not begin until 1952, when international prices boomed. Today, Jamaican Standard Products is the country's biggest coffee producer, exporting 45% of its output. At the height of the harvest season, the company employs some 450 people.