Latoya Grindley, Features Writer

Little Star. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

On any given day while passing through Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, you will probably see a man pushing his way through the town with a red, green and gold cart with an umbrella attached.

Christopher Thompson is the proud owner of that cart, which allows him to exercise his entrepreneurial skills throughout the town. Thompson, known by most as Little Star or Juicy, sells snow cones, an item which goes way back in Jamaican history. He said he had been selling them for about three years.

Snow cones are made from shaved ice and syrup of various flavours.

With so many thirst quenchers on the market, one wonders how Little Star survives with his competition. "Yuh see the way how I make my drinks, just can't compare with them other juices. The things I add to it like all mi lime an suh jus set my ting apart," he said.

His unique tool

This snow cone vendor said he travelled from Thorington to Santa Cruz, which is a 20-mile journey, each day. He noted that his sales fluctuated dependent on the weather, but he said he had regular customers whom he supplied. "You have people who buy from me when they see me, but then I have my special customers like who work in gas stations and garages".

Little Star said he started this line of work after an elderly woman gave him his main tool to carry out his job before she died. Little Star said the ice shaver he used was the same shaver used by the woman who sold snow cones at the school he used to attend. He boasted of the value of this tool of the trade. "This shaver older than me. You caan find this nowhere again. And when you talk bout strong, a this man".

While admitting that business could be slow at times, this highly-driven man said he persevered against the odds. "I used to do nuff things man, sell all ice cream, but I really like this".

Trying to cater to a wider range of customers, he also makes and sells natural juices.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com