Watooka Guest House pushing local content in Linden
-all products for restaurant being sourced in Linden
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, January 7, 2019
The management of the renovated Watooka Guest House is looking to utilise products grown and manufactured in Linden and wider Region 10 in support of local businesses.
CEO of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Colvin Heath-London said the Regional Agricultural Committee had already received tangible support for its food security drive.
The restaurant receives its fresh produce from local farmers while art and craft and cosmetic items for the guest house are sourced from local producers and manufacturers.
This has prompted local farmer and agro-processor Owen DeSouza to start manufacturing and packaging his soaps in sizes usually accepted by the hospitality industry.
His soaps are produced from local fruits such as avocado and pawpaw which are also mixed with natural oils and herbs such as coconut oil and moringa.
During the Linden Tourism Exposition, hosted November last, Manager of Watooka Guest House, Rawle Dundas said, “We see ourselves as the facilitators of the activation, we see ourselves as being able to afford opportunities to our young people, whether it be people who have craft or agricultural products, available because we would want to use local things at Watooka.”
The Watooka Guest House is one of the oldest colonial buildings in Linden and served as a restaurant and guest house in the early 1900s. Since the upgrade, the guest house has been experiencing a 100 percent occupancy rate.
Several new features are also now available including collaborations with tour agencies to ensure guests experience Linden fully, a private lounge, a membership scheme, transportation services, as well as catering for private, small, and large events, among other things.
NICIL is the custodian of the Watooka Guest House.