Meet Michael and Sonia Moodie, the husband-and-wife duo behind Portland Authentic, a Jamaican brand whose jerk seasonings and sauces pack the authentic flavours of traditional Jamaican Jerk. But before the recipes and branding, they were simply a couple…
It began on a Labour Day trip to his home parish Portland to enjoy authentic Jamaican Jerk. But what should’ve been a nostalgic feast left the Moodies unimpressed. The seasoning was off. The experience, lacklustre.
Michael turned to Sonia and said, “We can do this better, we know what real jerk tastes like.”
Without missing a beat, she said yes. And together, they built what would become Portland Authentic, starting with their flagship Spicy Jerk Seasoning. From there came the Mild Jerk, the Jerk Sauce, and most recently, a Jerk Fritters Mix that has already made its way to California.
They’ve been together for over four decades since the 1970s, partners in life and now in legacy. Sonia handles the heart of the business: recipe development, production, and packaging. Michael oversees sales, distribution, marketing, and finance.
Michael and Sonia’s partnership goes far beyond business. They first met as teenage neighbours on Mona Road, when he had moved to the city from Portland. Michael resided at number 17, Sonia at number 50. “She admired me, and how I carried myself,” he jokes.
And in the most poetic of twists, it was their 10-year-old son who gave the business its tagline: “Taste That Excites.”
Their business operates like well-seasoned jerk chicken, each ingredient serving a vital role. Michael leads sales, marketing, and administration, bringing the product into supermarkets across Jamaica.
Sonia, meanwhile, is the culinary mastermind, managing production, packaging, and recipe development. “She’s very good at what she does,” Michael beams. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and I’ve been in love with her cooking for almost 50 years.”
‘From Concept to Market’
From the very beginning, Portland Authentic has been closely supported by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC). When Michael and Sonia Moodie decided to move their jerk seasoning from the kitchen into the market, JBDC became a critical guide.
“We have been a client of JBDC from day one. I approached them with the idea of what we were doing and would like to get into the shop at Things Jamaican,” he said.
One of the agency’s first interventions was helping the Moodies develop a business plan. It was through this process that they realised their initial production costs were too high, prompting essential changes like replacing onion with scallion to reduce the unit cost without sacrificing flavour.
“Being young to manufacturing and agro-processing, I didn’t know all of this.”
JBDC helped the Moodies understand what it takes to bring Portland Authentic ‘From Concept to Market’.
As participants in JBDC’s Accelerator Programme, Mr. Moodie was training in areas like branding, corporate governance, and export readiness. This hands-on support prepared Moodie to enter new markets and scale with confidence.
In 2021, the couple made history when they copped the Runner-up B.O.S.S Man and Runner-up B.O.S.S Lady of the year awards from the JBDC.
Today, Portland Authentic is at all Things Jamaican™ stores – Devon House, Norman Manley International Airport, and the Corporate Store at 14 Camp Road, as well as the online at www.thingsjamaicanshopping.com.
Through its retail brand, Things Jamaican™, the JBDC, an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, is providing market access for more than 400 local producers of authentic Jamaican products, many of which are family-owned.
As a brand that has grown with the JBDC, the agency understands what family means to its success. Family-owned businesses constitute a significant percentage of Jamaica’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized (MSME) sector, accounting for upwards of 70% of employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contributions. These businesses are vehicles for intergenerational wealth, social mobility, and community.
Dubbed the ‘Home of Authentic Jamaican Brands’, Things Jamaican™ pushes 23 family-owned business just like Portland Authentic under its current ‘Fambili Legacy’ campaign until the end of July 2025.
Start your journey toward entrepreneurial success at www.jbdc.net.
