Our Savoir Faire

As the custodians of a rich savoir-faire, transmitted across generations, the producers are masters in the art of crafting sumptuous sugar crystals of varying colours and sizes.

Sugar cane,

the soul of the Mauritian landscape

Sugar cane was introduced in Mauritius in 1639, under the Dutch period, but it was only after the French settled in 1721 that the sugar industry truly started flourishing. Ever since, the lush sweeping fields of sugar cane have been the quintessence of the island. In the 18th century, sugar, then considered as a luxurious spice, started being traded all around the world. Drinking coffee with sugar became the trend among the elites, and soon, merchants began to call this life sweetener ‘’white gold’’. British rule was established in 1810, a milestone for the industry. Several decades later, sugar production in Mauritius reached its peak. By 1858, there were 288 factories, the largest number of factories to have operated on the island. The increased production and export of sugar led to significant developments in the country. Sugar cane was the population’s lifeblood. To date, sugar cane remains the gold of Mauritius. More than a pillar of the economy, it is an important piece of its history, culture, heritage, and pride.

‘‘Made In Mauritius’’

Sugar cane is either manually or mechanically harvested, and loaded on lorries by hand or mechanical grab loaders. On arrival at the mills, sugar cane stalks are mechanically unloaded for subsequent milling. The milling process occurs in two steps: breaking the hard structure of the cane using knives and shredder, and then conveying the shredded cane through a series of mills, each composed of heavy rollers.

Juice extracted from the sugarcane stalks is screened, heated, limed, and subsequently sent to a clarifier. Clear juice from the clarifier travels through a series of evaporators where it is concentrated to a thick syrup. Crystallisation occurs in single effect vacuum pans where syrup is concentrated until saturated with sugar.

Massecuite (a mixture of sugar crystals and Molasses) produced in the vacuum pans is sent to crystallisers, where the crystallisation process is completed. It is then sent to dedicated centrifugal machines, where the amount of mother liquor left on the crystals is carefully controlled. This results in a range of special sugars with varying degrees of taste and aroma. Free-flowing sugars are dried and conditioned prior to bagging.