ABOUT US

Delano Handfield. A native of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Delano was born in the beautiful Blue Hills Settlement of Providenciales, a small community of smiling faces and breath-taking beaches. It was here that Delano spent his childhood making memories of simple times filled with warmth, peace, and happiness. However, as beautiful as it was (and still is), this “Jewel of the Caribbean” was not always the thriving tourist hotspot that it is today.

 Before this hidden gem was uncovered, times were tough for Islanders. Employment was scarce, and the country was still a work-in-progress. Delano’s family was no exception, his family understood this struggle, and his mother moved him and his siblings to the U.S. in the early 1990s in search of better opportunities. After completing high school, Delano joined the U.S. Army where he traveled the world (including tours in Iraq) and developed a new sense of community among his fellow comrades. Throughout his travels, however, the smell of saltwater and the calming sound of waves never left his senses as they eventually called the soldier home to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Originally, Delano had planned to join the Providenciales police force and put his years of military experience to use but those plans soon gave way to his new passion: cooking. 

After a visit to the popular restaurant Da Conch Shack in 2010, Delano felt inspired to create his very own hot pepper sauce. He worked feverishly, cooking up batch after batch as he perfected the sauce. He combined his unique experiences from traveling the world with the cooking secrets passed down from his grandmother. After a bit of trial and error, Peppajoy was born, and the Turks and Caicos Islands had a new all-natural, handmade guava pepper sauce to spice things up. After a tasty sample and expert pitch, the restaurant’s manager eagerly added the sauce to their establishment. Shortly after that, other restaurants in the area followed suit. 

It was only a matter of time before the rest of the country fell in love with Peppajoy’s unique flavor that lovingly combines a familiar base of heat and acidity with the smooth, sweetness of guava. Given the local success of the sauce, it was only natural that manufacturing would need to ramp up in order to keep up with demand and in 2017, Delano moved the manufacturing process to the U.S. Now, Peppajoy is sold all over the world both in stores and online. Customers are finding new and exciting ways to incorporate it into their cooking including marinades, grilling, dips, and more. While its incredible flavor finds its way into the dishes (and hearts) of people across the globe, its unique branding proudly displays the Turks and Caicos Islands’ flag signifying the place Delano calls home. Peppajoy is more than just a sauce. It’s one man’s story of family traditions, world travel, found purpose and true passion lovingly bottled into a delicious sauce to add spice to your dishes and inspiration to your life!