THE ANNILU STORY
A friendship. A flavour. A little piece of home.
From the original AnniLu collection.
Made for you.
With love.
Childhood friends Ann Smith and Luciene Morrison met at Convent of Mercy, Alpha. Their families’ friendship spans more than five decades. Ann brought product-development and food-technology expertise; Luciene brought accounting, business experience and a love of baking.
After three years of development, they launched Jamaican Fruit Cake Mix in 2009 to make traditional baking easier for busy households. They imagined fruit cake beyond Christmas, at weddings, celebrations and everyday gatherings.
Turning challenges into opportunity
When established distributors initially declined, the founders delivered to supermarkets themselves. Island-wide distribution followed the next year. Demand from Jamaicans abroad led to exports to New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, followed by Toronto and the UK.
Recognition along the way
AnniLu’s original website records an Observer Best New Product nomination and a JMA/JEA Expo packaging-category award in the company’s early years.
A growing family of favourites
Soaked Fruits followed two years after launch, giving bakers more control over fruitiness. Sweet Potato Pudding Mix joined the range in 2012.
