Trésors et Délices

The Treasure of the Northwest

When Nanda Yagambrum left Mauritius Island in 2008 to settle in Canada, he never imagined he would go from selling vegetables at a farmers’ market at the age of 9 to selling award-winning samosas in national supermarkets several years after landing here.

“We left our country – me, my wife, and our two children – with only our suitcase of clothes. We didn’t know what we were getting into,” said Nanda, who had 16 years of service in the Mauritius Island police force but always had a passion for cooking. It was this passion that led him to venture into the restaurant business upon arriving in Grand Falls, N.B.

In 2011, after a successful year of selling their samosas at the Grand Falls farmers’ market, Nanda and his wife Vanesha decided to buy a restaurant named Trésors et Délices. This former chocolate shop would become a restaurant featuring Mauritian, Thai and Indian flavours.

Over the following years, this small business built a supportive community in the region, and the restaurant became a popular spot in Grand Falls.

In 2018, Nanda had the idea to produce and sell frozen samosas in regional supermarkets. By December 2019, the plan was developed and in 2020, it was set in motion.

The first store to sell the frozen samosas from Trésors et Délices was the Giant Tiger in Grand Falls, located near the restaurant. However, embarking on the manufacturing and distribution of this product required changes within the business to ensure continued revenue flow and survival. “If we stay here, our production will be limited,” said Nanda.

With the help of a $115,000 contribution from ACOA’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, Nanda undertook an expansion of the kitchen at the back of the restaurant and purchased new equipment: a samosa production machine and a sauce packaging machine.

These changes allowed the business to remain competitive by increasing its manufacturing capability, enabling Nanda to accept additional contracts with other stores and launch new products.

“It’s something that encourages us to work, to say we are on the right track, we are in the right place, we are surrounded by good people, and the government is there to help us, the community is there to support us.”

Today, Nanda and his small business employ 5 people and have won numerous provincial awards. Trésors et Délices products can be found in 30 supermarkets across New Brunswick.