Black History Month is about the people shaping Canada’s future. Sometimes that happens through institutions and activism. Sometimes it happens through entrepreneurship.
Opal Rowe, Founder of Stush Patties, took a beloved Jamaican street food and turned it into a healthy, meal-worthy option built for how people eat today.
Stush Patties are on sale in this week’s flyer, and Opal will be in the store sampling on Saturday, February 21, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Learn what sets Stush Patties apart and how Opal turned a COVID kitchen experiment into a thriving local business.
The Patties’ Roots
The Jamaican patty arrived in Toronto long before Stush.
Large waves of Caribbean immigration in the late 1960s and 1970s gave Toronto dance-hall music, Caribana, and Little Jamaica, just down the street from Fiesta Farms.
That’s when small Jamaican-owned bakeries and takeout counters like Randy’s Patties and Bathurst Subway Patty Shops (featured in CBC’s Patty vs. Patty) started serving a familiar taste of home. A bright yellow crust, a little oily from the warmer, and wrapped in paper to eat on the street. It was spicy, messy, affordable and nostalgic,
A Modern Patty
Opal’s effort to make a better Jamaican patty started with a simple question: Why hadn’t the Jamaican patty evolved to meet modern tastes like other street foods?
“The Jamaican beef patty already had the story. I just wanted to bring it into today,” says Opal.
During COVID, Opal started making great-tasting, healthy, meal-worthy patties in her home kitchen. Friends she shared them with started asking when she planned to start selling them. That’s how it began.
Opal decided to call her Patties Stush because, in patois, being stush means you’re a bit fancy, particular, or selective about quality. Not snobby exactly, more like someone who knows what they like and expects it done properly.
To meet modern eaters’ appetites, Opal uses quality ingredients and plant-based options. Her flavours run from Classic Beef and Jerk Chicken to Spicy Lentil and Veggie and Jerk Soy Chik’n.
Building a Brand Through People
As soon as Opal started selling, word spread. Chef Cory Vitiello introduced her to us — and we’re glad he did.
When Opal talks about growing the business, she doesn’t start with production. She starts with relationships. That’s our language too.
“Your product opens the door, but relationships keep it open.”
She points to chefs, other founders, and small retailers who helped the product grow from a passion project into a viable business.
Opal highlights how Independent grocers play a key role in growing a local business like hers. Unlike the big guys, indies can take a chance on local entrepreneurs early and give them plenty of exposure to customers.
That’s how Stush Patties arrived at Fiesta. As soon as we tasted it and knew this was something our customers would be hungry for.
“Fiesta helped people discover us before we were known,” says Opal, adding, “Fiesta gave me real customers, not just shelf space. I could see who was buying, talk to people, and understand how the product fit into their lives.”
Try Them This Week
If you’ve been curious about Stush, now’s the time.
They’re a great option for a healthy, delicious meal you just pop in the oven.
Stush Patties are on sale in this week’s flyer, and Opal will be in the store sampling on Saturday, February 21, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Pop by to say hello.