St. Kitts and Nevis PM Terrance Drew meets Christian Brown of McIlhenny Company which owns Tabasco

St. Kitts and Nevis’s Prime Minister Terrance Drew recently met Christian Brown, field technician for McIlhenny Company, which owns the world-famous Tabasco brand. Brown, who oversees and coordinates with Tabasco’s pepper growers, was accompanied by Ashton Stanley, special advisor to St. Kitts and Nevis’s agriculture ministry.

During their meeting, PM Drew and Christian Brown focused on the development of St. Kitts’ pepper-growing operations and highlighted the island-nation’s commitment to fostering agricultural growth. 

St. Kitts and Nevis’s collaboration with Tabasco

In November 2024, the St. Kitts and Nevis’s government launched a project to cultivate Tabasco peppers for global distribution in collaboration with Tabasco International. The move aimed at invigorating the country’s agricultural sector and diversifying the national economy under its Sustainable Economic Expansion and Diversification (SEED) initiative, which the government pursues to reduce reliance on the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. 

The collaborative programme will make use of 100 acres and is expected to create more than 300 jobs, boosting both agricultural productivity and local employment. 

PM Drew then called the project a “milestone” which combines agriculture with economic development. 

“By partnering with Tabasco International, we are not only enhancing our agricultural output but also positioning St. Kitts and Nevis as a key player in the global spice market,” he remarked. 

The government planted the first batch of Tabasco pepper seedlings at Fahies Estate in Newton Ground in St. Kitts. It was done through the agriculture ministry. 

An official ceremony in November also marked the official launch of the Department of Agriculture Tabasco Pepper Experimental Plot Project—a collaborative effort between St. Kitts and Nevis and the Tabasco brand. Agriculture Minister Samal Duggins was also present.

Under the initiative, farmers in St. Kitts and Nevis will be provided training on the best pepper cultivation practices. Investments will also be made in necessary infrastructure, such as processing facilities while eco-friendly farming practices will be implemented to ensure the initiative’s long-term viability. 

It may be mentioned here that PM Drew visited Louisiana to meet officials of Tabasco in September last year and discussed the key project. He later informed the media about the meeting during a Roundtable conference. 

About Tabasco and McIlhenny Company

Tabasco products are made by the McIlhenny Company, which was founded by American businessman Edmund McIlhenny on Avery Island, Louisiana, in 1868. It was there where he developed the recipe for Tabasco’s iconic red pepper sauce which has been passed down generations. He cultivated tabasco peppers near his home and developed the recipe for the hot sauce and started bottling it. Its popularity grew in the southern US in the 19th century. 

After Edmund McIlhenny’s death, his son modernised the company into a leading manufacturer of condiments. Tabasco is still distributed and owned by the McIlhenny family. The company’s supply chain remains grounded in the US even today, where Tabasco sauce is bottled and sold abroad. 

The McIlhenny company is often considered a role model for American food and beverage manufacturers that seek to make inroads into foreign markets.