Golden Krust Legacy and Famous Jamaican Beef Patties Put Community First

Ambition runs deep within the Golden Krust empire and Steven Clarke, the vice president of marketing, is no exception. As the innovative voice—and nephew of Golden Krust founder Lowell Hawthorne—behind the renowned culinary gem, he’s elevating the brand and dedication to creating tasty Jamaican beef patties to the next level with cultural awareness, strategic insight and faith.

Clarke was born in Kingston, Jamaica. The last of four children, his father was a pastor and his mother was a missionary. Clarke recalls Sundays filled with worship, whether at their home church or while serving in different communities around the island.

His parents prepared him for leadership as he headed a youth group at the tender age of nine. That role instilled immeasurable values such as responsibility, service, humility and gratitude.

Walking in the Steps of a Matriarch

Clarke and his family unfortunately lost their matriarch, Novelet Clarke, during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this day, the business leader laments that the loss of a parent is one of the toughest ordeals he’s experienced and continues to cope, alongside his loved ones, to the best of his ability.

“She was the angel of the family,” he recalls with fondness of his mother.

“Whenever she came to the States, she’d cook and ensure that everybody had enough food.” She modeled her sense of selflessness and charity everywhere she went, as she lived in her home nation. It didn’t matter if you were family, friends or a friend of a friend, she’d take care of you.

Clarke’s earliest memories stem from time spent with his mother, who taught him how to cook at an early age. His parents owned three Golden Krust restaurants, one of which he began managing at the age of 14.

His mother occasionally filled in for cooks, demonstrating her impressive work ethic. That drive led her son to the realization that reliable employees were hard to find, further engraining a sense of duty and resilience.

After years of hard work in North America, Clarke’s parents returned to their beloved homeland. As much as he missed their presence, he understood it was a great opportunity for them to enjoy the fruits of their labor and for him to continue on the family legacy.

As dedicated to his family as he is in business, Clarke and his wife ensure their five-year-old son, Noah, soaks up every aspect of Jamaican culture, from the culinary classics to the diverse music.

The Evolution of Golden Krust

Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne, the parents of Golden Krust founder Lowell Hawthorne (and Clarke’s mother), ran Hawthorne and Sons Bakery near Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, for over five decades. They enlisted the help of their 11 children to grow their business to the success it’s known for today.

Hawthorne and Sons was the premier bakery in the area, offering quality bread, buns, cakes, coffee, sugar, cocoa, and more. The bakery sat on the same land as the house, blending the two worlds into one.

After some time, the family eventually relocated to the United States of America, and in 1989, the Hawthorne siblings and their spouses compiled their savings to open the first Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery on East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx, New York.

As the business grew, the family moved their manufacturing plant to the South Bronx. They purchased almost the entire city block. By 1996, Brooklyn, New York, which has a large Jamaican population, became the location of the bakery’s first franchise.

In under a decade, Golden Krust celebrated their 100th opening in Queens, New York. That same year, the founders launched the Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne Golden Krust Foundation (MEHGF) .

The Foundation has supported schools in Jamaica and the U.S., partnering with institutions like the University of the West Indies and Bronx Community College, and collaborates with Golden Krust to provide internships and employment. Since its inception, MEHGF has given over 250 scholarships to aspirational kids.

Clarke is proud that yet another generation is growing up on Golden Krust. “Uptown Bronx is known as ‘Little Jamaica,’ but when I’m in the restaurants, I do see more than Jamaicans buying our products — and I think that’s a testament to the strength of the culture.”

While visiting a pizzeria in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, Clarke noticed a child not of Caribbean origin ordering Jamaican beef patties. Curious, he asked the child’s parents what influenced that decision. To his delight, they revealed their child enjoyed the patties served at school.

The bakery has a prominent contract with New York City Public Schools, where the company provides patties for the lunch programs. The Jamaican Beef patties, which the bakery has been distributing for over two decades, are placed on the menu approximately once a week.

The option is not only delicious and nutritious, it’s an opportunity to share a cherished part of Caribbean culture in an accessible manner.

From Budding Entrepreneur to Marketing Maven

Clarke attended St. Peter and Paul Preparatory School in Jamaica where he admits he was the “best paper plane maker ever” in the third grade. The ability to craft aerodynamic objects of varying flight paths garnered the appreciation of his classmates.

A budding businessman, he began charging for his craftsmanship after understanding, “sometimes you have to zoom out of your position and realize what you do innately.”

In the United States of America, Clarke attended the prestigious St. John’s University, where he studied business management. He was fascinated by the psychological aspect of sales, eager to understand the how and why of human behavior, compelling him to switch his major to psychology while maintaining a minor in business management.

Clarke was active on campus, becoming the president of the Theta Epsilon Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and the community vice president of the Caribbean Students Association.

Clarke credits his programming experience, during which he figured out his strength in marketing. His education underscored his capability to develop programming, ideate, innovate and bring people together. His endeavors enabled him to execute strategy at a high level, garnering enough trust and support to build lasting relationships.

“If you’re involved in college, it’s like a dry run of the real world without spending your money.” He continues, “You still have to work with administrators, convince peers to believe in your vision, and manage people who may be senior to you.”

After college, Clarke became a project manager for a firm in Long Island City. He reveals that project management was a considerable opportunity for him, empowering him to learn as much as possible about every aspect of the business.

At times, the role encompassed customer-facing representation and collaboration with salespeople and back-of-the-house liaising with various departments — from graphic designers to finance and shipping to ensure customer satisfaction.

Clarke recommends taking on project management roles to anyone wishing to take their ambitions to the next level.

The Golden Krust Legacy Continues

The Golden Krust family reeled from the sudden loss of Clarke’s uncle Lowell on December 2, 2017. The blow was the second time Clarke felt an irreparable void in his life, as his uncle was one of his greatest inspirations.

He remembers spending summers at his beloved uncle’s home, where he would leave Jamaica to “mess up his backyard” in White Plains and play tennis against his garage. He was more than a friend, uncle and tennis partner to him — he was like a second father, providing an abundance of love, guidance and wisdom that Clarke will always miss.

“When he passed away, I had to take that remorse and convert it to fuel because I knew the vision he had for the brand.” He continues, “I knew he always wanted to bring a taste of Jamaica to the world.”

Clarke recognizes the love and hard work all his aunts and uncles put into making Golden Krust a household name.

Through it all, the family decided to continue with their rebranding, ensuring their investors, franchisees and customers by prioritizing changes in leadership and making pointed plans to scale their retail ventures — as of 2024, Golden Krust’s Jamaican beef patties and other microwaveable products are sold in over 22,000 stores nationwide.

They also updated their packaging, uniforms and menu boards. The goal was to solve as many customer pain points as possible by focusing on issues like innovation, speed of service, and convenience. This led to the inauguration of the Golden Krust Rewards loyalty program.

The rebranding took approximately two to three years to complete. Clarke credits the support that the family received to be instrumental in elevating the brand while coping with their loss.

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Innovating Beyond Jamaican Beef Patties

The innate thinker continues to build on his strengths in marketing by appealing to new customers, including expanding their offerings beyond Jamaican beef patties.

“For the size of the population at 2.8 million, for the influence it’s been able to have on the globe, I don’t think you can pay any influencer any amount to get the impact or level of influence Jamaica’s been able to put forth into the world.”

Still, Golden Krust recognizes the potential reach of culturally aware partnerships. The franchise, which has reached over $100 million in sales and produces more than 40 million Jamaican patties, yearly, and is the first Caribbean-owned business to partner with Beyond Meat. Besides meatless patties, they are exploring fruit-filled options.

After watching a video of Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo creating a vegan version of Jamaican beef patties, Clarke reached out to her team, which resulted in two viral collaborations. Lizzo, who was born in Detroit before moving to Houston and Minneapolis, is another example of Jamaican culture’s reach and impact through food.

Clarke coined the phrase “Bunini” to highlight the “World’s Best Easter Bun” promotion, which had an audience reach of over 13 million people. Golden Krust also teamed up with Vita Coco Water, where patty purchases could add a container of coconut water to their meal for only a dollar.

As the largest Caribbean-owned business in the United States of America, Clarke and his family continue to share their culture and vision with the world through fun-filled, culturally immersive events around the country.

“Festival audiences are risk-takers,” Clarke opines. “When people see a Jamaican beef patty at a stand, they get curious.”

In general, Clarke believes that authenticity is key to making a tasty and memorable product. The Scotch bonnet pepper, receiving a Scoville heat rating of 100,000-350,000, is one of the hottest chilis and a staple in Jamaican cuisine. Still, both heat seekers and non-spicy food lovers are willing to try foods incorporating bold flavors in the quest to experience something true to the culture.

Jamaican Foods You Must Try

According to Clarke, there are several Jamaican classics you should try to get a better sense of the island’s famed cuisine including:

Jamaican Beef Patties

A spicy, flavorful ground beef filling encased in a flaky, golden pastry, popular as a quick, savory and satisfying snack.

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery offers a broad assortment of patties such as jerk chicken, curry chicken, plant-based, spicy or mild beef, vegetable, and spinach (one of Clarke’s favorites). You can order any patty with cheese.

“If you drop that into coco bread,” says Clarke, “you’ll have a very filling lunch for under six bucks, which in New York City is very hard to find.”

Coco Bread

A soft, mildly sweet bread often paired with Jamaican patties, perfect for creating a hearty sandwich or enjoying on its own.

Ackee and Saltfish

Jamaica’s national dish comprises savory salted cod fish and a creamy fruit that, when cooked, has the texture of scrambled eggs.

Callaloo

A flavorful and nutritious Jamaican dish made from leafy greens, often sautéed with onions, garlic, and spices.

Okra

A versatile vegetable originating from West Africa and enjoyed in stews or fried. It’s known for its somewhat slimy texture and rich flavor.

Porridge

A comforting and hearty Jamaican breakfast staple made from cornmeal or oats, sweetened with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Corned Beef and Fried Sweet Plantains

A savory and sweet combination of tender corned beef sautéed with onions and sweet peppers served alongside golden fried plantains. Clarke’s version incorporates green beans, which is one of his favorite recipes from his mother.

Bun and Cheese

Sharp cheddar cheese wedged between two slices of a bun spiced with raisins for a sumptuous and unique snack or dessert.

“We’re proud to represent Jamaica. I believe it’s the most enchanting culture in the world and influential, as well,” beams Clarke. Undoubtedly, we’ll continue to find Jamaican beef patties and the Golden Krust influence in more countries around the world.

You can learn more about Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and its famous Jamaican beef patties by subscribing to their YouTube channel . They are also continuing their food tour, which will stop in Florida in September. Visit their Instagram page for more events.

This story originally appeared in Cuisine Noir Magazine