About the Author

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We are both from Caribbean heritage. Our parents are from Jamaica and St. Lucia respectively and worked very hard to provide the best life that they could for us. We were born in the early 1960s and family times were so special in both our homes, especially around the dinner table. As we have grown, life experiences have thrown so much at us but through it all, we have continued to live and to love life! We have supported each other through everything. We have been friends since we started secondary school at the age of 12 years and we pride ourselves for being able to live a life that has given friendship its true meaning. We are the opposite of each other but just like in a marriage, somehow it works. We embrace and respect each other for who we are. So much has happened over the years, both good and bad but we have continued to overcome. The past couple of years, we have needed each other even more, as we lost a very special person, D'lissa, Sylvia's 26-year-old daughter who died in childbirth. D'lissa's daughter survived and she has Cerebral Palsy, has many challenges and she is also blind. Together, along with the rest of the family, we are raising S'riaah amidst the sadness of losing her mummy. We have always stated that "Our families are each other's family". Even though we both eventually had careers in education, life seemed to be leading us down a different path. 32 years ago, we began to identify a combined gift that we had for hospitality and catering. One of us had a unique and very special purpose in hosting and organising. The other realised that she could cook and together we complement each other very well. People were requesting our services, windows of opportunities kept opening and unknown to us, we were in business. The Pepper Pot Kitchen was birthed. Throughout the years, it has grown along with our friendship. We have become soul mates who have not only served each other well but others too. We have juggled raising our children, supporting our families and each other, along with working and endeavouring to fulfil our purpose. We now feel that the time has come to take The Pepper Pot Kitchen to another level, by God's grace.