How Gordon Augustus Hunte turned a lil’ mint hustle into a full-fledged snack company

Gordon Augustus Hunte’s journey into entrepreneurship started when he was a student at the Government Technical Institute, selling mints to finance his education.

“I was known as the MINT MAN in GTI, my former classmate Dason Anthony was one of my good customers. Now selling mints wasn’t cutting it on the streets when I finished GTI,” he reminisced.

“…I was just doing business part-time selling confectionery in the afternoons and

Gordon Hunte, with his red basket, in early days of operation
Gordon Hunte, with his red basket, in early days of operation

weekends with my bicycle, moving through the streets, making stops at the Botanical Gardens, Seawalls and a few other places. Now I am not fond of shouting down the road alerting people that I have items for sale and the container I sold with hid my items. So when I rode down the road not shouting, no one seeing what I had to sell, you know my sales were poor. So, I said to myself I need something better to display my items; I needed something to make them more visible. I was working at a variety store at the time and one morning I went to work and there it was, the ideal display – a red basket. Against company policy I took it off the floor since it was the only one left.”

And so Red Basket Mobile Confectionery was born. But the business did not really take off until the 29-year-old spotted another opportunity thanks to his sweet tooth.

“I like fudge, so I would buy from time to time. One day after selling, I bought a fudge and I took it home. I got an idea: I can sell some fudge. So I said to my mom, “Mommy, you didn’t mek fudge fuh cousin carry back the last time, mek some for I sell, nuh.” So she showed me one time and I was on my own from then. I tweaked the recipe from time to time over the years, improving my method of production and the recipe of itself,” the North East La Penitence, Georgetown resident explained.

Since that time, Hunte has been churning out the sweet treat, which is so good

Delicious fudge before packaging
Delicious fudge before packaging

people fret when it sells out, along with cheese straws and pastries, with the help of his mom and one employee, under the Red Basket brand. The snack company specialises in turning good-old Guyanese favourites into “foreign”-looking packages of deliciousness on supermarket shelves.

Branding and constant innovation were key in transforming a popular informal business idea in 2010 into a one-of-a-kind registered small business. In fact, Red Basket’s motto is “bringing Guyanese together through tradition and innovation”. Hunte said throughout the process, he has learnt how to market himself, how to be patient, and where poor financial choices can lead. The 29-year-old’s insistence on proper packaging for his products has paid big dividends. “Very early, I would label my products to sell, because in my head I was a company, not just another hustle.”

However, he is on a path of continuous improvement and says, in outlining his plans to keep pushing for better: “My product itself is of international quality, according to reviews, so I would like to bring my packaging to that level as well. Also, within the next five years I want the business to have at least 50 hired supporters (employees).”

The global agro-processing industry is worth billions, so “with an adequate amount of export, we can bring in foreign exchange and also create more financial opportunities for unemployed people”, the hard-working entrepreneur highlighted.

He says his biggest influence is his mom and his biggest inspiration, Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. Citing the late Dr Myles Munroe as his dream mentor, Hunte added that faith was the most important quality entrepreneurs must possess, and advised budding business owners to “examine yourself, learn how to move on from disappointments and make sure you are in a business you love: do something that you would do even for free and plan. Gain more knowledge on the industry you want to explore and start small now, don’t wait to start big later, you may never start”.

He believes with the right education you may not even need money to start your business, and advocated for help for business people in that aspect. “That was a challenge I had to face. I received funding, but not with the right education, so I mismanaged those funds and had to stop operations many times. Yes, I had to stop doing business for months at times just to catch myself. I never stopped again though since November 2016 as I continue to edify myself. I recently completed a course with ActionCOACH and it has really equipped me with the tools I need to really thrive as an entrepreneur.”

His love of music and dance helps to sustain him through the challenges and he is even turning his childhood passion into an opportunity for more learning – “right now, I am taking keyboard classes with the award-winning Samuel Medas”.

“It’s not what happens to you that matters the most, but how you respond and adapt.”

Contact: 288 Savage Street, North East La Penitence, Georgetown; 223-9586; 651-1430, facebook.com/theredbasketgy