Meet Jody-Ann Moulton-Scarlett | Owner and Pastry Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jody-Ann Moulton-Scarlett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jody-Ann, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was enrolled in Food Service Management programme at The University of Technology, Jamaica where my major was Culinary Arts. I really didn’t enjoy baking as it was very intimidating because of how precise you had to be in order to get a result – the baked product. At the end of my tenure, I was faced with the dilemma of not wanting to be a chef while not knowing what else I could do with my degree. The opportunity to travel to Scotland via a Work and Travel programme presented itself and I took the leap of faith. It was while being in charge of breads and desserts under the supervision of the then chef at the Castle I was working at that my passion for baking was birthed.

The name of my bakery is Mumzel’s Gourmet Pastries and it is reminiscent of my late grandmother, who I called Mumzel. She gave me my first piece of pastry and the experience of eating that pastry still is very vivid in my mind. The thought process behind starting my business is me wanting to combine what I experienced at 8 years old eating my grandmother’s pastry with the wealth of knowledge i’ve gained in baking for many years to create pastries that will ensure an unforgettable experience is left in the minds of my customers and remain with them long after their first bite.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Mumzel’s Gourmet Pastries is an online bakery that offers over 30 flavours of gourmet cupcakes, cakes, cake jars, and Jamaican pastries such as Gizzadas, Bread Budding, ToTo (a type of coconut cake), Peanut Cake and Coconut Drops. What sets my business apart is the passion I have for people experiencing good customer service while enjoying extremely yummy pastries. I put my heart and love into every single order that I receive and I’m extremely grateful for every customer I have; as my business wouldn’t be what it is today without them.

My journey has not been an easy one as I wear most of the hats in my business. I am the baker, the social media marketer and manager, the administrator and also the decorator. My husband is in charge of making all handmade fondant art for each order. It has not been easy to balance all that I do for my business, especially when I just started in 2017, but it has gotten easier over the years as I grew as a business owner. The balancing act and managing my time definitely came with experience.

I am proud of every achievement, whether big or small, that has taken place within my business over the years but the moments I’m most proud of is when my business was asked for two consecutive years to provide the birthday cake for our country’s Prime Minister, The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP. It was such an honour to serve in that capacity and those moments will always be extremely special to me.

The lessons I’ve learned over the years as a business owner is that being kind is all we can do for people. Everybody secretly struggles with something at some point in their lives and on those days, I want to ensure I am a source of kindness to whoever may come in contact with me. Even if it is one person, I want them to always remember when they were having a bad day, they were treated with kindness and respect while they were trying to order their pastries. That is how you stay relevant in people’s lives. People may forget what you’ve said to them over the years, but they will never forget how you made them feel and that is what I want myself, anyone who works for my business and also my brand to be known for.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely suggest going a road trip and doing a mini island tour together. This way we can see some parts of the beautiful island, enjoy lots of authentic foods and experience the culture together. Some parishes I would suggest would be:

Kingston : Bob Marley Museum, get pan chicken from Jerk Chicken stalls on Red Hills road, visit Club Mecca for nightlife, Devon House for ice-cream, Port Royal to see and experience the Giddy House then stop at Gloria’s Seafood Restaurant and dine at the different cuisine restaurants as another food option.

Portland : Visit the Blue Lagoon and do a rafting tour, French Man’s Cove Beach and Boston Jerk Center for Jerk everything!

Westmoreland : Watch the sunset and do cliff diving at Rick’s Café, visit the 7 Mile Beach, visit Chill Pops for liquor infused popsicles.

Saint Ann : Check out multiple beaches and hit up many food spots

Saint Elizabeth : Visit Lovers Leap, Pelican Bar that is in the middle of the sea, Middle Quarters for the BEST peppered shrimp, Treasure Beach, YS Falls, and do the Appleton Rum tour.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Apart from my friends and family who have been a support for me and my bakery since 2017, I want to shout out Chef Noel Breaks, the chef who I worked under while I was in Scotland. If I didn’t take the leap the of faith in 2014 and travelled on that Work and Travel Programme, I wouldn’t have meet him. Meeting and working with Noel Breaks was the catalyst that started the development of the passion for baking that I now have. Even after returning to Jamaica and then to the United States to work, he continued to be a guide in my culinary and baking career and i’m so very grateful to him and the knowledge he shared.

Website: https://mumzelspastries.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mumzels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mumzels

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/mumzelsgourmet?_rdc=1&_rdr

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@mumzelsgourmetpastries

Image Credits
Headshot Photo ; @keonprediphotography (on Instagram)