A Bucks Co. Seasoning Company Wants To Spice Up Your Life

NEW HOPE, PA — Marcus Davis, who formerly worked as a steamfitter in New York City, decided last year to follow his life-long dream of getting families excited to cook. He took a leap of faith, moved to New Hope, and started a spice company — during a global pandemic.

Wah Gwan is a collaboration between Marcus and his wife, Rose Orrell Davis. Their luxury seasoning line's name is inspired by the Jamaican Patois greeting which means "What's going on?"

“We have become a culture obsessed with eating out and ordering takeout,” Marcus said. “Historically, there has been a resistance to cooking at home, mostly due to time, shopping for ingredients, and knowing how to put all of the components together. Our all-purpose seasoning is the solution — one product — that brings a ton of flavor, allowing home cooks to fill in just the fresh ingredients, thereby simplifying dinner and waste.”

The line includes an all-purpose seasoning, Scotch Bonnet pepper powder, dry brine, and G salt (oversized salt crystals from the south of France).

“Our mission is to deliver quality, globally sourced seasonings, making them accessible to everyone while inspiring a new take on in-home culinary experiences,” Marcus said.

Their brainchild was born out of a desire to inspire and educate families to return to the kitchen to cook, talk, laugh, and heal. The pandemic inadvertently bolstered Wah Gwan's message, as scores of restaurants were closed and more people had to rediscover the joy of cooking at home.

“What we didn't see coming was that our launch in mid-March 2020 would be peak pandemic panic for all," Marcus said. "It has been an interesting year and our mission couldn't have been better timed, as families were forced to be home with each other planning meals and cooking together."

Bucks County might seem like an unlikely birthplace for a spice brand deeply rooted in Jamaican culinary history — but that’s where Marcus, a self-taught chef whose parents are Jamaican immigrants, started sourcing, mixing and blending. Just before the pandemic, the NYC transplants moved to New Hope, where Rose grew up.

Rose, a body psychotherapist, massage therapist, and digestive health coach, worked in the corporate wellness sales industry for more than a decade.

“We are both nutrition coaches which 100 percent supports our mission to get people cooking more for themselves and their families,” said Rose.

While the couple finalized the business idea after moving to New Hope, it had been developing for a long time. Marcus spent many nights reading the French Culinary Institute’s tome The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine.

“After wrapping up a short-lived rap career at 25, I worked as a steamfitter in NYC for close to 20 years, helping to build high rises, skyscrapers and even One World Trade Center, all the while secretly pursuing my passion for cooking," Marcus said.

For years, he'd been testing and trying blends looking for an all-purpose seasoning that bridges cultural and situational cooking. It wasn’t until Rose gifted him with two key quality-sourced ingredients: Pimentón de la Vera dulce (sweet smoked Spanish paprika) and dried scotch bonnet powder, that he realized the combination ignited serious sparks.

“Now, my cooking has always included Scotchie’s being that I’m Jamaican and love spice,” he said. “Paprika as well has been a staple in my life. What happened though, when we combined these ingredients and blended them with a handful of other spices was purely magical, and Wah Gwan seasoning was born.”

However, finding the right source was key. After sampling hundreds of batches, the Davis’ finally found what they were looking for from a grower in Florida.

“The paprika comes from Spain and the Scotch Bonnet is grown by hand by the only person we found who can grow and dry the pepper just right," Marcus said. "This is what sets us apart. This is the game changer!”

Married last December, the Davis' have always connected over appreciating quality food.

“We also quickly realized that what people are craving (besides access to delicious, fresh food) are experiences within their community and actually breaking bread with friends and loved ones,” Rose said. “We’ve found incredible joy in helping people uplevel their cooking! And we couldn’t be happier about the fact that we’re doing this together.”

Check out Wah Gwan online.

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