Why Cakes in Mauritius Cost More Than You Think

Customers in Mauritius are often shocked by the price of a quality cake — but according to one industry insider, they shouldn't be. Hemant Ghoorbin, a chef and former owner of two café-patisseries trading under the name 2906 Cakes and Desserts, says the true cost of professional baking is widely misunderstood by the public. "People still believe they can get a good-quality cake for a low price," Ghoorbin told ION News. "All prices have gone through the roof." After being forced to close both of his establishments due to unsustainable operating costs, Ghoorbin has since redirected his expertise into education. He now runs Dessert King, a pastry school based at 15 Cantons in Vacoas, in the central plateau region of Mauritius, where he trains the next generation of bakers and cake makers. **Flour Subsidies Don't Tell the Whole Story** While rising flour prices have been widely discussed in Mauritius — the government subsidises flour to cushion the impact of global commodity inflation — Ghoorbin says flour is not actually the biggest burden for specialist cake and dessert makers. A 25 kg bag of flour currently costs around Rs 300, and he argues the subsidy, while helpful, does not move the needle enough for patissiers. The real cost pressure, he explains, comes from premium ingredients that carry no subsidy. High-quality chocolate alone can cost between Rs 900 and Rs 1,500 per kilogram. Cream, butter, and cocoa butter have also seen sharp price increases, as have cocoa powder and other specialist inputs. **Electricity Is the Hidden Cost** Beyond ingredients, Ghoorbin points to electricity as a major — and often overlooked — expense for small patisseries. Professional ovens, mixers, refrigeration units, and other baking equipment run continuously and consume significant amounts of power. For a small business already stretched by ingredient costs, electricity bills can tip the balance between viability and closure. It was the combination of these pressures — premium ingredients, utilities, and the general cost of running a commercial kitchen — that ultimately led Ghoorbin to shut his two cafés. **What This Means** For consumers, this is a reminder that artisan and custom cakes in Mauritius are labour- and ingredient-intensive products. A cake priced at several hundred rupees is not a luxury mark-up — it reflects real costs in chocolate, butter, cream, power, and skilled time. For small food businesses, the story underscores a structural challenge: subsidies in Mauritius tend to target staple goods like flour and cooking gas, but specialist producers who rely on imported, unsubsidised ingredients — chocolate, dairy, cocoa derivatives — are left fully exposed to global price swings. Ghoorbin's pivot to pastry education at Dessert King in Vacoas also reflects a broader trend of experienced food entrepreneurs finding more sustainable models outside of retail, where overheads are lower and revenue comes from skills transfer rather than product sales. Source: ION News