Today we’d like to introduce you to Pascale Troupin-Castania.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Pascale. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started Pascale’s LLC in 2010 in Delray Beach when serendipity played a hand beginning with buying a house in Delray in 2000 with established Mango and Lychee trees which lead to making Mango Jams for friends and neighbors. Nine years later I had an opportunity to present a few products at my first Green Market in West Palm Beach. The success of these first markets drove me to seriously consider the next steps, which lead to taking over the lease of a bakery in Delray that I renovated into Pascale’s LLC’s production kitchen.
Born in Paris, France and after a lifetime of cooking professionally from restaurant to villas to private yachts, this was a natural fit for me.
Armed with a broad resume that took me around the world, my approach to Jam making is reflective of where I traveled, lived and worked; France, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean before settling in Delray Beach, Florida. My experiences feature in every recipe I develop, resulting in a product line that is fresh and clean with a harmonious balance of flavors.
Pascale’s LLC has a loyal clientele and the Jams, Marmalades, Shrubs and Sauces are sort after by many stores including Lucky’s Market, the new Vegan Fine Foods Market [Ft. Lauderdale], restaurants, gourmet stores and bakeries. Proud of the company’s Delray Beach roots I trademarked the by-line ‘The Delray Beach Jam Company®’. in 2016.
Pascale’s LLC is committed to providing the finest and purest preserves, chutneys, sauces and shrubs; never using anything artificial and we have gone to great lengths to make sure our procedures and products meet all regulatory standards. Pascale’s LLC is registered with the FDACS and our facility is registered with the FDA and holds a Better Process and Control School Certificate from UCDavis.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any startup, there were many hurdles along the way beginning with renovating the kitchen space, where the process of permitting with the city and then making sure that all the regulatory boxes were checked was a constant endeavor.
Then I had to decide how best to distinguish our line from others in the same space. My approach to selecting the best produce and reducing the sugar content already made our products stand out. Developing relationships with local organic farmers and suppliers was relatively straightforward, although with any company dependent on growing cycles and market fluctuations, the search for the best products at reasonable pricing is a constant challenge. Presentation of the product, it’s shape and label design were additional layers complexity.
The other hurdle was to gain customer acceptance of the process as a reduced sugar preserve, palate acceptance was crucial. My concerns here, however, were unfounded as I soon found out that our customers were flocking to get more.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Pascale’s LLC is a jam company specializing in fresh fruit preserves, the company’s ethos is ‘fruit first’. We are a small team of artisans and all our products are handcrafted, from sourcing the raw ingredients to the final product. Everything is made in small batches to preserve the integrity of the main ingredient.
Working with our Florida based sugar supplier, we are also one of the very few Vegan-Friendly jam makers, sourcing our NON-GMO Pure Cane Sugar from refineries that do not use bone char in their process. Our products are fat-free, gluten-free and pectin free, additionally, our products do not contain any artificial preservatives.
The company’s process relies on the naturally occurring pectin in the fruit, hence an average of 70% fruit in every jar. This commitment to excellence is why we are selling in Lucky’s Market [Plantation, Oakland Park and Coral Springs] at the new Vegan Fine Foods in Ft. Lauderdale, Amici Market in Palm Beach, in two Marriott Hotels and in a dozen gourmet bakeries and food stores.
We try to source our raw ingredients from local farms and use organic as often as possible. Our preference is to support local and domestic producers. We support local retailers and organizations such as Localecopia, local Green Markets and many tri-county events.
What were you like growing up?
As a little girl, I spent many hours with my grandmother in France, a professional cook, sitting in her kitchen playing with pots and wooden spoons. As I grew up, my interest in travel and food was an ever-present constant which inevitably shaped my journey. Being open-minded, curious and always ready to try something new, allowed me to adapt and adopt many unique cultural flavors along the way.
I love nature and the dramatically rugged visuals of coastlines and mountains. I enjoy traveling and experiencing new sites and cultures with all that it entails. Food is such a huge part of travel, inspiring and shaping who I am.
I am an alpine skier and love to sail spending many years working on private yachts crossing oceans, visiting far-flung shores and discovering new ingredients and flavors. Mountains and the sea play a crucial part in my life.
Pricing:
- Our preserves and chutneys sell for $9 [SRP]
- Our organic fruit shrubs [12.5 oz bottle] retail for $16 [SRP]
- Our Mango Hot Sauce retails for $6 [SRP]
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 SE Fifth Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida 33483 - Website: www.mangohouse.net
- Phone: (561) 706 2646
- Email: info@mangohouse.net
- Instagram: pascalesjams
Image Credit:
Patty Daniels
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