Angostura Ltd: A Legacy of Rum and Corporate Responsibility in Trinidad & Tobago
Community, Culture, and Heritage in Laventille Since 1875
Since 1875, Angostura Ltd and its predecessor companies have been an intrinsic part of Laventille, on the outskirts of Port of Spain, Trinidad. As one of the Caribbean’s leading rum producers—and the world’s market leader for Angostura® aromatic bitters—the company has long provided employment, economic stability, and corporate support to a community defined by rich cultural traditions and its proximity to the nation’s business centre.
🔗 Learn more about the company:
House of Angostura – https://angostura.com/
A Legacy of Excellence in Rum Production
Trinidad and Tobago is Angostura’s core rum market, with several of its brands in existence for generations. Internationally, Angostura’s rums have earned gold medals at global spirits competitions and have been named “the world’s most awarded rum range” by The Rum Masters.
🔗 External validation:
The Rum Masters – Global Spirits Awards
Business success has translated into long-term community stability. Over nearly 190 years, Angostura attributes its sustainability and growth to careful management of profits, people, and the planet—a triple bottom line approach that underpins one of Trinidad’s oldest and most internationally successful companies.
When Robert Wong, a twenty-year veteran of the organisation, assumed leadership of the globally recognised rum producer, he emphasised a people-first philosophy:
“A good leader is as strong as the relationship he has with his workers.”
Environmental Stewardship and Safety
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
Angostura employs approximately three hundred and fifty workers, many drawn from the surrounding fence-line communities. In January 2014, the company marked a significant milestone with the opening of a new bitters bottling facility at the House of Angostura.
(N.B. Information accurate at time of publishing in 2014)
The facility was constructed internally by Angostura’s Maintenance Team—completed on time, within budget, and accident-free—demonstrating both technical competence and strong internal capacity. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was officiated by Gordon Siegert, great-great grandson of founder Johann G.B. Siegert.
Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Policy
As a manufacturing entity located near a residential community, Angostura has formalised a comprehensive Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy, committing to identifying and managing the environmental impacts of its operations.
Environmental objectives include:
- Water and energy conservation
- Solid waste management, including recycling, reuse, and sale
- Effective emergency response training
- Ongoing health and safety risk mitigation
This policy framework guides Angostura’s operational decisions and environmental targets.
Empowering the Laventille and Morvant Communities
Youth Education and Mentorship
Angostura’s corporate social responsibility programmes are deeply rooted in its home community in Laventille, and neighbouring Morvant, with a strong focus on youth empowerment in communities affected by underemployment and crime.
Through collaboration with the Chinapoo Police Youth Group, Angostura supports the Back to School Programme, providing financial assistance for books and stationery to less-privileged children.
In 2013, the company conducted:
- Primary school workshops on alcohol awareness
- Secondary school sessions focused on responsibility, family engagement, and education
Green Initiatives, Education, and 4H Clubs
Angostura partners with the Trinidad Theatre Workshop through its Theatre in Education outreach programme, bringing CSEC literature to life for secondary school students nationwide.
To commemorate World Environment Day, students participated in an eco-poster competition illustrating sustainable living. First prize was awarded to Russell Latapy Secondary School, which also presented a model eco-friendly home.
Through Angostura’s Green Initiative:
- Primary schools receive support to establish 4H Clubs
- Crop and ornamental gardens are developed on school compounds
- Programmes align with the agricultural component of the S.E.A. examination
Each year, hundreds of students visit Angostura’s Barcant Butterfly Collection, a unique educational attraction that promotes environmental awareness and biodiversity appreciation.
🔗 Internal link suggestion:
Angostura Museum & Barcant Butterfly Collection
Steelband, Culture, and the Laventille Street Parade
Steelband Festival & Cultural Preservation
Steelband is to Laventille what Angostura is to the world—a defining cultural force. The annual Laventille Street Parade and Steelband Festival is a highlight of the August calendar and receives strong corporate support from Angostura, whose gates form part of the parade route.
Angostura also provides financial assistance to over thirty unsponsored steelbands participating in Carnival competitions.
To preserve cultural history, the company sponsored:
- A documentary on the steelband movement
- A film on legendary Laventille-born pioneer Bertie Marshall
Volunteerism and Community Resilience
Employee volunteerism is central to Angostura’s CSR strategy. Initiatives include:
- Angostura Barcant Mentoring Programme (in partnership with the Growing Leaders’ Foundation)
- Participation in the ICC Ocean Clean-Up Campaign
- Annual Christmas hampers for senior citizens
- Children’s Christmas parties and toy distribution at the Laventille Community Complex
In 2013, employees also launched the Angostura Emergency Fund, raising funds through a walk-a-thon and BBQ to assist staff during times of personal crisis.
Angostura’s Impact in Tobago
Angostura’s community engagement extends to Tobago, where it supports:
- Tobago Heritage Festival activities in Buccoo and Plymouth
- Healing with Horses, a vacation camp for differently-abled children
- The Tobago Word Festival
- Scholarships to the annual alcohol and addiction studies symposium hosted by CARIAD
🔗 External links:
NIHERST – National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology
CARIAD – Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems
Performance, Profitability, and Purpose
Audited statements for 2013 showed Angostura posting profits of TTD 76.6 million, continuing a turnaround initiated in 2009.Then Chairman Gerald Yetming, in his March 19, 2014 report, noted:
“This signifies the strength of our brands in an increasingly competitive environment.”
Yet at Angostura, success is measured beyond financial performance—by environmental stewardship, employee wellbeing, and sustained social investment in its home communities. For Angostura, what is good for the community remains good for business.