Pitch Amazing Jamaican, Latoya Johnson Panton.

Latoya Johnson Panton is a passionate chef, dedicated educator, loving wife, devoted mother, and visionary gardener whose life’s work is rooted in food, family, and community empowerment.

Born and raised in Jamaica, Latoya’s deep connection to food began in childhood, where the rhythms of the kitchen and the soil became her earliest teachers. Her journey from a curious home cook to a celebrated culinary educator and agricultural pioneer reflects her unwavering commitment to nourishing both bodies and spirits.

As the founder of a thriving catering business and a small but impactful cooking school, Latoya has spent over two decades teaching adults and children, starting from age four, to cook with purpose and joy. Her signature Young Chefs Cooking and Baking Club, which began as a summer camp initiative, has since evolved into a transformative program that goes far beyond recipes. Through her hands-on classes, children learn not only how to prepare meals but also how to grow, harvest, and respect the food they eat, fostering confidence, cultural pride, and a lasting connection to their heritage.

In 2016, inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity of her young students, Latoya launched Young Chefs, a television show that aired on Television Jamaica. The series quickly became a favourite among families, celebrating culinary diversity, healthy eating, and the joy of cooking from seed to table. The show’s success was a testament to Latoya’s ability to blend education with entertainment, making cooking accessible, fun, and deeply meaningful for all ages.

At the heart of her philosophy is her backyard sanctuary, My Jamaican Food Forest, a lush, vibrant garden teeming with native fruits, vegetables, and herbs. This living classroom is where she cultivates not just food but hope and sustainability. A true steward of the land, Latoya spends countless hours nurturing her garden, using its harvest to feed her family, enrich her classes, and share abundance with neighbours and friends.

In late 2019, Latoya discovered the Wambugu apple, a resilient, drought-tolerant fruit from Kenya, on YouTube. Recognising its potential to thrive in Jamaica’s climate and support food security, she embarked on a mission to bring this fruit to the island. Through persistence, research, and collaboration, she successfully imported Wambugu apple seedlings and distributed them to farmers and backyard gardeners across Jamaica. Today, the Wambugu apple is thriving in Jamaican soil, symbolising Latoya’s vision of agricultural innovation and intercontinental exchange.

When Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica in 2025, destroying crops and livelihoods, Latoya responded not with despair but with determination. She launched the Seeds of Hope Project, a grassroots initiative that sows and distributes free vegetable seedlings to farmers and community gardeners. With the goal of restoring food sovereignty and healing the land, she and her team have continued to grow and share seedlings long after the storm’s aftermath, turning grief into growth and loss into renewal.

Latoya Johnson Panton is more than a chef or a gardener; she is a community builder, a cultural guardian, and a quiet revolutionary. Her legacy is one of resilience, generosity, and the belief that food is a powerful force for connection, healing, and transformation. Through her kitchen, her garden, her classroom, and her heart, Latoya continues to plant seeds of knowledge, hope, and love for generations to come.

Latoya Johnson Panton is an amazing Jamaican.

We are in a knowledge-sharing evolution, creating a new world.

Best wishes,

Sherry Collins, I am her.

Jamaican Freedom Fighter, for the people.

Fighting for the creative freedom of the Jamaican peopledem and Pitch Futures, our future creative talent.

I am human. I create from my own visions and ideas, reading culture and the world.™

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The birth of a Jamaican Freedom Fighter.