By Elvin Carl Croker

“AS a born vegetarian and having never consumed any sort of meat I bring more to what I am doing. I prepare my food myself because I believe that I should put the best out there and whoever comes would have that unique quality,” said Marissa Primo, owner of Vegi Blitz a vegetarian business.

At 37, this young entrepreneur says she is living her childhood dream by serving up the tastiest, attractive and fingerpicking vegetarian dishes in town.

Speaking with the Pepperpot Magazine Marissa said that her drive to start the business was also driven by her having difficulty finding good quality vegetarian food both in Guyana and in some of the Caribbean islands when she travels.

She explained that vegetarian food is different from ‘ital’ (food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement) and that people need to understand the difference.

She said contrary to popular belief vegetarian food is not food without flavour or food without taste; rather it is richer in nutrients and tastier if you know how to make it. “You don’t always have to have a piece of meat on your plate to eat healthily,” she said.
On March 6, 2014, Marissa began her life passion career in a small caravan after putting it off on numerous occasions.

She said a tragic occasion triggered her choosing that date to start the business.
“It is the death anniversary of my eldest brother [so the] date adds some significance. I will never forget it, and it is always going to be in the memory of him. That is why I started the business that date,” she said.

She related that after about a week working in the small caravan, her father decided to offer her a section of his property to ply her trade in a better manner which she readily accepted and has been operating there since.

This Guyanese beauty says she is driven every day to do what she loves because she feels the need to let people know the importance of eating healthily and properly and she feels she can help them be aware of what they are eating, how food is being prepared, and what food they should like.

She said it is hard to find good vegetarian dishes and her business is there to fill that gap.
She explained that the vegetarian food available at other places, is just basic, there is nothing exciting about it and the presentation is unimpressive.

She, however, said that it is quite a challenge convincing persons of the vegetarian diet, this she says challenges her to be more creative in the presentation of her dishes and other things.

So far she said she has observed that more men are becoming health conscious.
Marissa says she prepares all her menus and does not use much rice in her dishes.
“I came away from too much rice. I use more greens so we have our greens menu where we put all the greens available on our menu,” she said.

Dishes made with Tofu (a food made from condensed soy milk) are most demanding she said. This product she said is very rich in protein and can be replaced for egg and also chicken.

The business has a daily special which is a serving of Tofu along with a vast selection of varied rice served with stir-fries and fried plantain or other fries. Other specials include macaroni and cheese, boil and fry Chana, boil and fry provision among others. There is also the salad bar which has a vast array of salads including fruit salads.

She assured that all ingredients used in the preparation of all meals are void of Ajinomoto and other harmful flavourings used in other cooking outlets.
Instead, she said what distinguishes her business from her competitors, is that she prepares dishes using a lot of natural spices and other secret items that give the food a better flavour and taste.

Vegi Blitz is located at the corners of 23 John and Northern streets. The business opens from 07:00hrs to 19:00hrs from Mondays to Saturdays and is expected to have its official launch soon.