Most people are known for being good at one thing. Well, Jacqui Tyson is not most people, hence she has the extraordinary distinction of being multifaceted and capable of not only handling several things simultaneously but being great at them all. Indeed, she belong in a unique category of persons who have various talents and skills who can personally execute a project from start to finish, having conceptualized and implemented each phase with a precision that is uncanny with an eye for detail that is simply extraordinary. Such is the caliber of the professional that is Jacqui Tyson! She is one of Jamaica’s most sought after event planner and gastronomic guru as her reputation precedes her and her clientele reads like the who’s who of business and entertainment.
Tyson does not have to search for clients. They line up for her. That is what happens when your food speak for itself and your staging wows audiences repeatedly. Hence, referrals are a given as word of mouth speaks volumes adding to your credentials in the food, beverages and event planning industries. Tyson is a powerhouse with panache, the gourmet giant with an innate flair for food and the event empress that will take your idea from thought to finish. BUZZZ Magazine sat down recently with Tyson to catch up with the ‘bad and bougee’ queen of the kitchen about her plans for 2023 and beyond, and to also find out how she evolved into this incredible connoisseur of Jamaican culture and cuisine.
With over twenty years in the business, Tyson definitely knows her way around a kitchen. Her company ‘From Thought to Finish’ and its subsidiary J. Tyson Events has been known to pull off some of the most memorable events staged on the island. From Shaggy & Friends to Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues and many shindigs and soirees in between, she puts her own twists of Jamaican foods, hence her tagline ‘From yard style to gourmet’. Tyson has not only worked the four corners of Jamaica but also carved her knife into events around the Caribbean as well as internationally.
Tyson who came from a PR and fashion background was first introduced to the world of culinary delight by her Swiss husband who told her that if you are going to run a restaurant, you have to know how to cook. “I discovered I had a talent for it, so I studied in Switzerland and did various apprentices at different hotels. While in Switzerland, I found out that I was an exotic being and there was no one like me. When they met someone like me who had etiquette, manners, people skills and who also could speaks properly, they were fascinated. They could not quite place me by background or ethnicity so they thought I was so glamorous and worldly. Once we went to Monte Carlo, and it turns out that people thought that I was a movie star and he (her husband) was my driver. They just never met anyone like me before.”