Hot croissants with ham and gruyere cheese. - Photos by Emma Sharp

The managing director of Swiss Stores, Ueli Bangerter, had two reasons to celebrate this year. He reached a milestone birthday, and he's started a business called F&B 109 Limited, with the chairman of Swiss Stores, Daniel Eugster.

It would seem that a man who has been in the jewellery and watch business for 11 years would have no clue about culinary delicacies. But Ueli told me, "I grew up in the hotel business. Cooking is my passion. As a young boy, I loved to eat sausages, so it was natural for me to make my hobby my business. I miss the creativity - there's only one way to sell a Rolex, but many ways of cooking a nice meal."

Adjacent to Swiss Stores, F&B 109, is situated at 109 Harbour Street, with its entrance on Water Lane. An understated side road, due to parking regulations, it is quick and convenient to pay and pick up products, much like a drive-through!

Clean and cool

The first thing that struck me when I made my first visit was how clean and cool the establishment was. They boast about their sausages - jerk and Italian, frankfurters, English bangers, bratwurst (white German sausage, which is a combination of mostly pork and veal) and knackwurst (German sausage which is 80 per cent beef and 20 per cent pork). There is bologna, black forest ham, jerk chicken roll, ham roll, smoked pork chops, a Swiss wood-oven twisted bread loaf, croissants, gruyere, havarti, blue cheeses and a variety of European wines and speciality liqueurs such as Kirsch and Grappa. Ham leg and turkey will be available throughout the Christmas season.

These products are supplied by Swiss national, Robert Hoehener, the meat smoker/processor who owns Arosa in St Ann's Bay. He makes the sausages himself, here in Jamaica, and according to Bangerter, "he takes great care and pride in what he does". Hoehener uses the prime cuts to fill his sausages.

Bangerter does supply local favourites like mutton, pig's tail, cow foot and turkey neck. He buys everything in bulk, but will break it down according to your order. His meat saw, slicer and vacuum pack machine come in handy, as he will put together two chops, four slices of ham, a quarter pound of cheese, one pound of mutton, and so on, and seal them separately for you.

"I want to drive the local businesses and trade," remarked Bangerter, who insists that all his meat be local. When I asked him if he thought an establishment uptown would be more convenient for some clients, he said that staying downtown keeps his prices affordable. However, he will deliver if there are suitably large orders.

Unbeatable prices

Customers may order picnic hampers and barbecue boxes for special occasions or, if they don't have the time to prepare a meal at home. One may also collect the most delicious, lightly toasted six-inch French bread sandwiches with various fillings - ham, bologna, jerk chicken, gruyere cheese, jerk sausage and pork weiner. At $160 up to $280, these 'subs' are unbeatable anywhere on the island. Call 10 minutes in advance, and they will be ready for you when you arrive.

Driving back home, my trunk filled with an array of delights, I tried to remember the ways he told me to prepare the sausages. "There is nothing better than a sausage from a charcoal fire. What's also delicious is to slice the sausage through the middle, put a slice of gruyere inside, wrap it in bacon and pop it in the oven - and because all the sausages, apart from the bratwurst, are smoked, they are great chopped in a salad." He paused, then added, "My absolute favourite is to cut the knackwurst, put it on a 'stick' and cook it in a camp fire." I smile to myself when I recall Ueli repeatedly saying, "Everyone loves sausages."

Sausages

Sauté mushrooms, onions and knackwurst German sausages.

F&B 109 Limited is located at 109 Harbour Street, Kingston. Telephone: 922-1109