“I have been a registered nurse for over 25 years,” Angela said with an undeniable sense of duty and purpose tethering her rhythm as she spoke. “The big focus of my nursing career has been on healthy lifestyle choices. I know that natural whole foods produce a degree of health that brings peace of mind and enjoyment of life that you don't get by sitting on the couch eating potato chips, for example.” As a former administrator of two assisted living facilities in the State of Florida, and the administrator for several Home Health Agencies over the years, Angela’s business acumen is bolstered by her bedside manner. “I am a nurturer; that's why I went to nursing school in the beginning. I want people to feel good about themselves and the choices they make in life. Food is an integral part of any healing process and our products are designed to promote that healthy lifestyle.” “Food is an integral part of any healing process and our products are designed to promote that healthy lifestyle.” “Choosing nutritional foods really helps improve your immune system and your overall good health,” Angela continued. “Foods like peppers, and datil peppers in particular, actually can provide health benefits. They contain capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in peppers, which is a proven pain reliever. There are a lot of creams and rubs, medications, over the counter things that contain capsaicin for things like arthritis, for example. It has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, decrease inflammation or swelling in joints; it boosts your metabolism; it can help reduce the risk of things like heart attack and stroke; and peppers are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. They also stimulate endorphins and dopamine, which are sort of the happy hormones.”
If you’re a fan of hot and spicy, datil peppers have another way of making you happy: they range from 100,000 to 300,000 SHUs (Scoville Heat Units) on the Scoville scale, which is as hot as or hotter than a habañero pepper. That’s not to say that each and every Old St. Augustine Gourmet product is going to have you reaching for the nearest cold drink. The Datil Zest Spice Blend, a mix of spicy datil peppers, natural lemon, orange and lime combined with onion, garlic, smoked paprika, salt and black peppers has a heat level of two out of ten, Angela said. Snake Bite Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, Angela’s number one selling product, comes in at five out of ten on Old St. Augustine Gourmet’s informal heat level gauge while Angela doesn’t even feel the need to rate her Jalapeño Honey Mustard: “It’s not too spicy and it’s not too sweet.”
— Fresh and local makes it taste better
by David MacDonald W e looked back on our conversation with Angela Bean in St. Augustine, America’s oldest city which is found on Florida’s North Atlantic Coast. The San Agustin colony predates Jamestown (1607) by 42-years but this article is not about giving you a history lesson, it’s about her award-winning brand, Old St. Augustine Gourmet. What might surprise you about Angela is that she hasn’t been known as ‘The Datil Pepper Lady’ for very long. Her relatively recent foray onto the stage of competitive craft gourmets came after careers as a public educator and a registered nurse, respectively. Our taste buds thank her for making the change.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2019
69 OCTOBER 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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