Micka Ozier is bringing French Caribbean flavours to Australian dinner tables, including those at Dubbo, where he now makes his home.
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Moving from Martinique a decade ago, he launched Touloulou Creole Shop in 2016 to offer the spices he loved to a new community.
The idea grew from the pastry chef's early days in a new country, realising there were not many Caribbean people around and making friends through a shared interest in food.
Mr Ozier turned to his old family recipe book to create his collection.
Starting as a side hustle, Mr Ozier has built up the business and reports his customers come from "literally everywhere" in Australia, and also in Hong Kong.
The Touloulou range of spices and sauces is now stocked by a number of retailers.
Among them is Midwest Foods and Liquor, Mr Ozier's employer since he moved to Dubbo in 2020.
The entrepreneur said he was amazed to see how far the venture - named for a a "small but delicious land crab" native to the Caribbean - had come.
"Touloulou started as a side hustle and is an entity in its own right now - crazy," Mr Ozier said.
He moved from Sydney when his fiance, originally from Lightning Ridge, found employment at Dubbo.
"He had always wanted to work in a more rural setting," Mr Ozier said.
"I am a pastry chef by trade so it was easy for me to say 'ok, let's do it'.
"I really enjoy living here."
Operating Touloulou is "not too difficult" because it's the age of e-commerce, its founder says.
Mr Ozier's customers come from "literally everywhere".
And that is amazing - Australia is a melting pot of culture just like the Caribbean.
- Touloulou Creole Shop founder Micka Ozier
"And that is amazing - Australia is a melting pot of culture just like the Caribbean," he said.
"You can also find our products in Hong Kong."
Touloulou's success includes medals at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
Mr Ozier hopes he is opening local audiences up to experiencing new flavours.
"It is hard for people to grasp that there is French islands in the Caribbean, usually when people think Caribbean, Cuba, Jamaica, maybe Haiti comes to mind," he said.
Touloulou's founder has plenty of enthusiasm for the future.
"Touloulou is a one-man show at the moment but I do get a lot of help from family and friends," Mr Ozier said.
"I also work with other small businesses to make it viable.
"The plan is for Touloulou to grow organically, I have plenty of ideas for the future."
He's pleased to be having an impact.
"The Caribbean movement is growing in Australia and I am proud to be a part of it somehow," he said.
Mr Ozier offers encouragement, saying food is "all about experimentation and pleasure".
"So even if you don't know anything about Caribbean flavours and food, get some Touloulou products and have a play," he said.