Keisha Shakespeare, Staff Reporter
CHRISTMAS IS a time to share with family and close friends. And there is no need to be stressed by the hassle of baking your own cakes especially when you can get Buccaneer Rum Fruit Cake and Buccaneer Rum Cake at supermarkets and gift shops.
Buccaneer Fruit and Rum cakes are products of Honey Bun Limited located at 26 Retirement Crescent. Honey Bun was established in 1974 as a small retail bakery shop in the Spanish Court New Kingston. In 1982, the current owners Herbert and Michelle Chong acquired the operation and expanded it, shifting its focus from retail to the wholesale market.
Though Honey Bun produces a wide range of baked snack items, two of their signature items are the Buccaneer Rum Fruit and Rum Cake. The fruit cake entered the market in 1995. It is a dark rich rum cake baked with fruits that have been soaked for three months in pure Appleton Rum. Baked according to the traditional home-made Jamaica Christmas cake it is an ideal gift item. It is vacuum-packed to seal in the moisture and flavours. Also the packaging is excellent and comes in weights of 7 and 40 ounces and with a shelf life of 12 months. There are many sizes that can be garnished with a variety of toppings and served as a dessert. The rum cake came on the market in 1997. It is baked until golden brown then soaked in a special blend of Appleton rums. This can also be served as a special dessert treat. In fact, Mrs. Chong has come up with a most scrumptious recipe by adding one tin of whipped cream and pineapple to the rum cake, topping it off with freshly toasted almond nuts.
According to Mrs. Chong the Buccaneer products were developed to represents a strong Jamaican culture while being appropriate for the international market and standard. Currently both Buccaneer cakes are sold island-wide, in Canada, the United States, Trinidad, Barbados and the United Kingdom.
They can also be found the airports, in gift shops, coffee shops and will be available in supermarkets for Christmas.
PACKAGING
1. The attractive package depicts the era of the Buccaneers in Jamaica, a time of plundering, wealth and indulgences
2. Vacuum packed bags maintain moisture
3. The products have great shelf life
4. There is a window to see and feel what you are purchasing
Complimentary Foods
1. Fresh Blue Mountain Coffee
2. Fruit Flavoured teas
3. Liqueur sauces poured over slightly warmed cake
4. Toasted almonds
4. Fresh fruit plate - plums, strawberry and grapes
5. Rum or spicy sweet sauces
Dessert Ideas
1. Topped with toasted silvered almonds or walnuts
2. Chill and serve with fresh fruits
3. Serve rum fruit cake with a layer of marzipan
4. Warm cake and serve with ice cream
Cost
1. Buccaneer Rum Cake (box)- 7.5oz $170; 24oz- $699
2. Buccaneer Fruit Rum Cake (box) 190; 40 oz- $4990
3. Rum cake (cello) - 7oz- $124.
4. Fruit cake (cello) 7oz- $103. 13
- These price are f you purchase directly from the Honey Bun office
Tasting:
Samples were offered to the Gleaner's Editorial staff for tasting and these are some of their comments:
1. Rum Cake: Lovely, not too rummy and soft
Fruit cake: not too sweet or rummy, generally nice flavour.
2. All products are just absolutely lovely
3. The rum cake is scrumptious. If you are a lover of alcohol you will definitely like this one. However, the fruit cake does not live up to the expectation of a real Jamaican fruit cake. It lacks the colour and it needed more fruits.
4. The rum cake with whipped cream is mouth-watering and lip-smacking. I love it!
5. The rum cake - 2 thumbs up
6. The rum cake has no rum the fruit cake was nice a nicely balanced taste with all the ingredients including the fruits
7. The Both rum and fruit cakes and very good, moist, not overly sweet and it is a scrumptious dessert idea.
8. The rum cake is just great but I don't care for the fruit cake. The other products such as the donuts and cupcakes are yummy enough to make me lose self discipline.
9. Fantastic taste and congratulations on the first world quality packaging!
10. These conveniently packaged products will eliminate my need to bake cakes and buy tins with covers to send them overseas
