Pizza Did It. Sushi Did It. Now Maureen Simon Is Taking Caribbean Food Mainstream

In this exclusive feature, Maureen Simon, Founder of Maureen Simon Foods, shares the journey of bringing authentic Caribbean flavours from Trinidad and Tobago to the Canadian food market. Based in British Columbia, Maureen has built a Caribbean-inspired food brand alongside son Nick, celebrating cultural heritage, family traditions, and entrepreneurship through bold, flavourful products.

Through Maureen’s, Maureen is introducing Caribbean-inspired favourites, including Original Jerk Sauce, Coconut Curry Sauce, and the newly launched Rolliis, now available at 7-Eleven. With a focus on quality, innovation, and cultural connection, Maureen continues to expand the brand’s presence in Canada while inspiring aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs.

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How has your journey from Trinidad and Tobago to Canada shaped Maureen’s and the flavours behind your products

When I came to Canada from Trinidad, my children wanted Canadian and American foods, so I cooked them the only way I knew how, with the spices, seasonings and ingredients I grew up with. Scotch bonnet peppers, Chadon Beni, Jerk sauce, thyme, green seasoning. Those flavours came with me and never left my kitchen. Over time that same instinct moved into catering and food festivals, where I kept taking familiar foods and giving them a Caribbean feel. Somewhere along the way I realized there is something beautiful in that meeting place. When cultures come together through food, people do not just share a meal, they share something of themselves. That is what shaped Maureen’s. Every product we make is rooted in the flavours of home but built for Canadian tables, so a family that has never tasted jerk can enjoy it just as much as someone who grew up with it. I have cooked with that idea in mind for decades, and it is the heart of everything we make.

What was the biggest challenge in turning your family recipes into a food brand for the Canadian market

Family recipes live in your hands and your memory, not on paper. Turning them into something a manufacturer can reproduce thousands of times, with the same taste every time, meant putting into words what I had always done by feel. We also refused to compromise on ingredients. Our jerk sauce is clean label, with non GMO ingredients, no preservatives and real scotch bonnet peppers. That is harder and more costly than the shortcuts many brands take, but it is what makes it taste like home. Then there was the retail side. Caribbean food is loved in Canada, but it has often been tucked into a small ethnic section. We have worked to show buyers that these flavours belong in the main aisle, and our sauces have done their best in the regular condiment section. Learning how retail works, from listings to logistics, was a big education, but every yes made it worth it.

What has it been like building the business alongside your son, Nick

It has been one of the great joys of my life. Nick grew up watching me cook for family, festivals and events. He helped me stir the pots, pack the jerk sauce, bake the rum cakes, so he understands the heart behind the food better than anyone. He brings the sales, the go-to-market strategies and the patience to work through every detail, and I bring the kitchen and the story. We make a good team because we both want the same thing, to get this food onto Canadian tables the right way. We are also lucky to have Zack as a partner, who adds another strong voice to the table. It is a family business in the truest sense. Nick is my business partner, but he is still my son, and watching him believe in what I have cooked for years and put it on shelves across the country makes me proud every single day.

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What inspired your new Rolliis, and what does their launch in 7-Eleven mean for the business

Canadians love sausage rolls, and many love a good Jamaican patty. I thought, why not bring those two worlds together? A Rollii is not a sausage roll and it is not a Jamaican patty. It is something new, built on two products Canadians already love, filled with jerk chicken, jerk beef or veggie coconut curry. They are fully cooked and ready in about 12 minutes in the air fryer, so they fit into busy lives. Launching in 7-Eleven across the country in July 2026 means everything to us. This started in a home kitchen, and now Caribbean flavour is in freezers coast to coast, in a place Canadians stop every day. It tells me that Canada is ready for these flavours, and it opens the door for everything we want to build next.

How do you preserve the homemade taste and Caribbean roots of your products as the brand grows

The recipes stay mine. Every new product goes through rounds of tasting and revisions, and we keep sending notes back until it tastes like it came from my kitchen. We do not cut corners on ingredients, because the real flavour comes from real scotch bonnet peppers, quality seasonings and a clean ingredient list. We also stay true to who we are. We are a Canadian owned family business, and my story and my culture are on every label. As we grow, the goal is not to change the food to fit the shelf, it is to bring the shelf to the food. We are meeting Canadians where they are by bringing Caribbean flavours to familiar Canadian foods, instead of asking them to come to us in the ethnic aisle for brands and products that were not made with them in mind. If a customer tastes our sauce or a Rollii and feels like they are at a family table in Trinidad, we have done our job.

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Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.