For many years, Anne Peters-Bristol is known by her overseas friends and relatives for making tasty hot sauce or pepper sauce which they looked forward to during the Christmas season and all year round. In 2013, the hobby of making these sauces became a business with the launch of ‘Anne’s Products’. This allowed for the sharing of the delicious condiments with others while at the same time, creating a viable source of income.
Ten years later, Anne’s Products has won multiple awards, and the products of the business are now certified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) under the Permit to use the Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme.
“I started off making hot sauce in 2013 with the use of a normal kitchen blender…it wasn’t easy but on the first day, all of my pepper sold out and that motivated me to continue doing so,” the proud business owner said.
In 2017, the product line of business was expanded to include Green Seasoning, and it was around that time the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) was approached for Anne’s Products to be added to the shelves of the New Guyana Shop and in supermarkets.
The businesswoman admitted that at first, the list of requirements including labelling, testing and documentations (records) seemed a bit far-reaching but with perseverance, she was successful in achieving her life-long dream of running a successful business.
The success of Anne’s Products was tangibly recognised through several awards won by the business. In 2019, the business won the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) President’s Award; in 2020, the Small Business Bureau’s (SBB) Small Manufacturer Award for Excellence; and in 2021, the GMSA President & Small Business Award.
Today, Anne’s Products boasts a further expanded product line which includes Souree Achar, Mango Achar, Chunk Mango Achar, Tamarind Achar, Hot Sauce, Lime Chunks ‘N’ Pepper, Mauby Drink, Lime Drink, Cassava Cassareep and Chinese Sauce.
Confident that her products are of quality, the proud business owner in 2022 applied to join the GNBS’ Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme, and on June 13, 2023, permission was granted to use the Mark on all the products except the Lime Drink, which will be added when the company pursues recertification in 2024. Anne admitted that the certification process was difficult but believes that investing time and resources to acquire the Made in Guyana Mark is beneficial to her business.
“When you have the ‘Made in Guyana’, people will know that you’re certified by Bureau of Standards and at least you uphold a certain standard,” Anne said. She added that she joined the GNBS Certification programme to be able to brand her items with the approved Made in Guyana Standards Mark.
Anne’s Products employs five to ten staff throughout the year. As a result of its certification status and the Christmas season, Anne said she and her employees are constantly working to meet the increased demand for her hot sauce, cassareep and other products.
The businesswoman is urging others to join the GNBS Made in Guyana Certification programme. “I encourage others to get certified because when the public see that you’re actually recognised by the GNBS, they know that your products have some quality because the Bureau will not issue the certification if the criteria are not met”, she said.
The Made in Guyana Standards Mark is a registered mark that aims to provide recognition to locally manufactured products on the local and international markets and is a signature of quality for authentic Guyanese Products. The certification is valid for one year after which businesses can pursue renewal.
Application forms for the Permit to use the Made in Guyana Mark Programme can be found via GNBS website https: https://gnbsgy.org/forms-all/. For more information, contact our Certification Services Department on 219-0064-66 or email certifcation@gnbsgy.org
