BELFAST — Concepta, who goes by her first name, is a fixture at the United Farmers Market of Maine in Belfast every Saturday. Behind the hot bar where she serves up chicken curry, minced beef curry, and lentil and potato curry, all over white rice, she is a one-woman powerhouse, selling out of her food and products every weekend, all the while conjuring up more angles for her business.

Her food and custom-packaged ground spices are more than just flavors. As her website states: Concepta's Studio is, "an immersive South African Indian experience where Food, Culture, Creativity, and Community come together."

Born in Cape Town and raised in Durban, South  Africa, Concepta said, "Most people don't know South African/Indian history or about Durban curry."

Durban, South Africa, has one of the largest concentrations of Indian people outside of India, largely due to the arrival of indentured laborers and passenger Indians from British India between 1860 and the early 1900s. 

"So, the Indians came to South Africa in the 1860s, and I'm fourth generation of that Indian line," she said. "My ancestors worked in the sugar plantations. Durban curry became its own cuisine because, with what little they had, they improvised with what was available. This curry doesn't have any dairy or coconut milk in it; the spice profile and the cooking method are different.

"I always hosted people at my house, and they loved my food, so people were always encouraging me to go into business," she said. "At first, I didn't want a food truck or a restaurant, so I started making my signature spice blends for retail with recipes on the back. For me, it's identity, it's culture, and I just love sharing all of that."

In 2024, Concepta began making and packaging Durban curry spices. She procured a license and began making small-batch spice packets with the Maine Made logo on it. 

"This was my touchpoint for the community to get to know me and to get to know my food," she said. "And it's been an amazing journey. Every weekend, people ask me if I'm going to open my own space, and I tell them I'm working on it."

In addition to the curried dishes over rice, she also makes puff pastry hand pies with the curried meat or vegetarian fillings and samosas — savory, triangular shell, commonly filled with spiced potatoes, peas, onions, lentils, or minced meat. 

"In South Africa, hand pies came from the British, and that just seemed to work with what I'm already doing," she said.

The creativity with which she keeps expanding extends to other handmade items at her stand, including colorful journals, fabric, and prints, all with South African designs. 

"This—" she points to the food stand, "was not on my radar. But, the more it started growing and catching on, this whole vision has become an identity journey. This is just another creative aspect of who I am. That's why I've named this business the Studio, because it's going to be more than just food."

Concepta is already envisioning new angles.  She has started "Cook & Create" sessions for the community, giving people a chance to come together and cook together. She's also a guest chef at The Hoot Restaurant in Northport. She's also offering "The Durban Curry Experience," which is "a series of intimate Sunday dinners where Durban curry is served the way it’s meant to be shared—around the table, in community, and rooted in tradition."

"It's going to be family-style, the way I grew up with all of my home recipes," she said.

And as for her prints and fabrics, "There's going to be a fashion line down the road," she said. "100 percent. I can't wait to get to the full expression of Concepta's Studio. There's a quote by Brené Brown. "'It's okay to have slashes next to your name.' You can be a home cook/entrepreneur/mom/wife/designer."

She credits Belfast and the United Farmers Market of Maine for allowing her to establish her brand on a micro scale.

"I have felt at home here since I moved here in 2012, and the community has just been amazing," she said.

To learn more about her spices and upcoming events visit: her website, Concepta's Studio.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com