What began as a quest to bring all-natural, preservative-free spices to her kitchen has for the past decade brought a distinctive flavor to the kitchens of many others.
Eartha Pascal, owner of Earth’s Natural, built her business on the idea that having fresh, well-prepared spice blends on hand will drastically improve anyone’s cooking.
Speaking to The Sun, native Marigot shared how she started her venture with the help of her family in their home.
Before launching her product in 2012, Ms Pascal said her all-natural organic spice blends were only used to prepare her family’s meals.
“I started mixing my own herbs and adding them to my cooking. I gave my mix to other people to try and the feedback was very positive,” she said, recalling the events that sparked her business.
According to her, she had long considered the idea of being an entrepreneur, so the praise received from those who tested her spice mix validated the decision to turn a hobby into a business.
While the spice lover stated that her initial product choice was wet spice, she was nevertheless encouraged to transform her products into dry spices during the early stages.
As operations grew, the products were certified by the Bureau of Standards and then introduced to the general public when they landed on the shelves of HHV Whitchurch & Co. Ltd. At the time, Ms. Pascal said she was a little worried, but “they sold out in no time,” she said excitedly.
“Soon after Astaphan started selling the product and it was well received by customers. Right now my products are sold in other supermarkets such as Issa, S-Mart and Fresh Market and people often call me to give compliments or make large orders. The feedback I have received is very good and I have gained customers from all over, not just in Dominica,” she said.
Earth’s Natural’s two signature spice blends, a pepper spice blend and a celery parsley blend, have also received approval from customers in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), Miami and New York where they are also sold.
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For the past 10 years, Earth’s Natural has prided itself on being all natural and organic with no preservatives. To achieve this, Ms. Pascal found that all the raw materials used to make her items are sourced locally either from her own garden or from other local farmers.
“I grow parsley, celery, black pepper, basil and thyme. I used to grow hot peppers, but now I buy them from other farmers,” she said. “I mix the spices at my house in Marigot, it is packed there and then delivered to various businesses for sale.”
While the local entrepreneur says funding has been one of her main challenges, she admits that with the help of her family and support from her valued customers, her journey has been rewarding.
10 years later, she is optimistic that there is no end in sight for Natural Earth.
– By Ronald Luke
