From Mauritius to Canada: A Couple Built a Spice Brand Abroad

Varouna and Neetyren Moorghen were married in 2004 in Poudre-d'Or, a coastal village in the north of Mauritius, and spent their early years building a life on the island. In 2010, like many Mauritian families seeking broader opportunities, they made the decision to emigrate to Canada, taking their young daughter Ceana with them.

The move was not easy. Varouna faced the heartbreak of losing her father shortly after settling in, and the couple had to navigate the challenges that most new immigrants encounter: unfamiliar systems, a different climate, and the slow work of rebuilding from scratch.

Over time, Varouna found her footing professionally, working her way up through the aviation sector at a Canadian airport. But it was outside of her day job that the couple's most personal project took shape.

Drawing on the rich culinary traditions they had carried from Mauritius, Varouna and Neetyren launched Moorghen's Spices, a business built around the spice blends and flavours central to Mauritian cooking. For the diaspora, Mauritian cuisine, with its blend of Indian, Creole, Chinese and French influences, is deeply tied to identity and memory. Recreating those tastes abroad is both a practical and emotional need.

Moorghen's Spices became a way for the couple to stay connected to their roots while offering other Mauritians living in Canada, and curious locals, a taste of the island's distinctive food culture. The brand represents the kind of entrepreneurship that often flourishes in immigrant communities, where a gap in the market meets a personal passion.

Poudre-d'Or, the village where Varouna and Neetyren married, sits on the north-east coast of Mauritius and is known historically as the site of the 1744 wreck of the Saint-Geran, a French vessel whose story inspired Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's famous novel Paul et Virginie. Today the area is quiet and rural, a world away from the busy corridors of a Canadian airport.

Their story reflects a pattern familiar to many in the Mauritian diaspora, estimated at several hundred thousand people spread across France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Leaving the island does not mean leaving Mauritian identity behind. For many, it means finding new ways to carry it forward.

What this means: For Mauritians considering emigration, or already living abroad, the Moorghen story is a reminder that building a life overseas and staying connected to home are not mutually exclusive. It also points to a growing market for authentic Mauritian food products outside the island, an opportunity that remains largely untapped by Mauritian exporters.

Source: Le Defi Media