This is the story of how a Jamaican woman living in Japan addressed her homesickness by cooking and baking Jamaican sweet treats and then, through actively practicing omiyage – a culture of gifting – unlocked her entrepreneurial side and created Sweet Island Treats.

Before getting into it. I want to stress that technically, Thereece’s business would fall in the category of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise but she does not claim anything small over Sweet Island Treats. For her, it is a mindset, and she emphasises at every turn that her business is big and will continue to grow from strength to strength.

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Thereece Stewart, a Jamaican who lives and works in Japan, created her business, Sweet Island Treats, three years after making Japan her home away from home. In a recent interview with me, she joyously expressed how she ‘bakes people happy’ and single-handedly takes responsibility for helping to cure the homesickness of many Jamaicans living in Japan all while being a cultural ambassador for the land of – reggae – wood and water…and athleticism, among other amazing features.

“I came here [Japan] in early March 2020 in the endemic stages of COVID-19 which was later proclaimed a pandemic a few days later. I said ‘oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into?!’ Nonetheless, I found myself in a new space missing home and trying to adapt,” Stewart shared.

Known to be versatile and adaptable, she said, “I found myself trying to do stuff to remind me of home. Cooking and baking were the best ways to do that. It was therapeutic, actually. So, I started cooking and baking Jamaican dishes and sweet treats and shared them with my friends.”

Having made cooking, baking, and sharing or gifting some of her creations to friends and colleagues as part of her regular routine, Stewart eventually acknowledged within herself that she could consider developing her idea into a business and earn additional income while doing what she enjoys.

Insights into entrepreneurship

Stewart, who holds an MBA in International Business from the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI, Mona) campus, spoke highly of a course within the programme that was taugth by a lecturer who she considers a mentor.

“I had done a course during my MBA called Business in a Global Environment and that course stood out in my mind” as she pondered her options in expanding her homesickness cure into a business while living and working in a foreign country.

When she realised that her culinary abilities carried with them the authentic taste – flavours and triggers of nostalgia of Jamaica – the young business owner began capturing photos and videos of her creations for her personal Instagram account.

Stewart did that as a stand-in while she unlocked her business and brand identity. In October 2023, after what felt like a eureka moment, the name and brand identity came to her as Sweet Island Treats – an identity that matches her moniker, Sweetboss, which captures her personality and the outpouring of ‘Jamaicaness’ in her daily interactions

Cooking and baking came relatively late

Boasting her current culinary skills, Stewart credits being away from home for her undergraduate experience at the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI, Mona) campus and being forced to learn.

“Being on the Mary Seacole Hall at UWI gave me independence. Prior to that – when I was at home – my older sister would usually cook, and I was at the ‘eating stage’ not the preparation stage,” she shared jokingly.

“So, [initially], when I started at UWI and lived on campus, I struggled because I was never in the kitchen before. While in hall, I called home to ask how certain meals were prepared and cooked. It was at that time that I realised I was good at it. Though I started late, I was good at it,” she highlighted.

Stewart added that after graduating with her undergraduate degree, she continued to put her culinary skills to the test and used her siblings as guinea pigs. She would “whip up something sweet for dessert on a Sunday like pone, banana bread or even carrot cake. My siblings seemed to like what I made, and [ I think] they would have told me otherwise because they are tough when it comes to telling me the truth.”

“Since coming to Japan, I have gotten better in terms of the food presentation,” she added referencing the strong emphasis on top tier presentation and appearance in the Japanese culture, stating, “Cause, you know in Japan, presentation is a big deal. They put a lot of effort into packaging and presentation.

In reference to her business, Stewart stresses that the taste is “authentic and unmatched as the quality and taste are top tier!” but acknowledging and highlighting that the presentation [in packaging] “is still a work in progress”.

A cultural ambassador and motivations

Stewart, who was a track and field athlete while at UWI, Mona volunteers some of her time to groups of people mentoring them in the capacity of a sports aficionado who also tells stories of her time interacting with well-known Jamaican athletes.

Fun fact: One of the driving factors for her going to Japan was her desire to volunteer at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

As a self-identified cultural ambassador who represents Jamaica well on many fronts, Stewart speaks highly of her interactions with Her Excellency Shorna-Kay M. Richards, the current Ambassador of Jamaica to Japan.

“I usually bake for my coworkers who are Japanese, and they would be so amazed. So, I said, ‘why not share it [my baked products] with a wider cross section of people?’. So, the motivation came from just wanting to share the culture. Case in point, the Jamaican embassy here in Japan – the ambassador – oh Lord, I look up to that lady so much! She’s like a mentor and she has given me many opportunities to showcase my talent. For that, I am eternally grateful,” Stewart shared.

The young entrepreneur said that the Ambassador “has been a blessing” to a majority of the projects that she has participated in where Sweet Island Treats products has been sold and also showcased.

“Our sweet treats were actually shown on national TV here. So, you could say that we’re a household name, haha. We had a series on a news network here in Japan where they did a feature with the Jamaican Embassy with a segment on Jamaican sweets. So, we were on display to the entire country. That’s big! I thank the ambassador for that,”

Thereece Stewart

Though we spoke of many things, I will wrap this cute write-up with some encouraging words from the Sweetboss herself!

Dream big and set realistic expectations

Our conversation went on for about two hours and it felt as though we were two sister catching up on everything we had missed over a number of years. To get the full conversation, look out for the podcast audio – which is coming soon.

In the meantime, you can keep up with Thereece and Sweet Island Treats on Instagram @sweetisland_treats

Signed,

The Suburban Girl JA