Ben John was born in South Africa in 1963 during tumultuous time. He grew up in Durban, South Africa and was one of 10 children. His parents were humble hardworking people. The family grew up on a small farm where they grew their own vegetables to ensure their family had enough to eat. Ben’s  Great Grandparents descended from India prior to moving to South Africa. This heritage and appreciation for the Indian culture and food has still been maintained to this day in the many Indian communities in South Africa. The passion for  Indian cuisine was inspired in Ben by his mother Pushpa. The love she expressed through the creation and sharing of her meals for the family live on in one of the dishes you will find on the menu “Pushpa’s curry” –made with potato, peas and Turmeric.

In 2002 Ben married his wife Shelly Whitman, who he had met in Botswana. Shelly grew up in Tantallon and in 2006 the couple moved to Black Point, Nova Scotia with their children Jade, Egan and Aaron who were all been born in Botswana. In 2011, Jonah was born in Halifax.
It has been a dream of Ben’s to open an Indian restaurant and to share his love of food and culture with the community of Hubbards. His son Aaron came up with the name Scotia Curry as a way of recognizing the fusion of our family’s heritage. Through the creation of Scotia Curry, Ben is also realising a dream of his deceased eldest brother, Patrick.