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“All I was getting was broth and noodles— “I recently hired a commission-based
barely any meat or vegetables,” she recalls. employee there, so I’m navigating that,”
“Ramen noodles shouldn't just be about she says. “Running a business takes a lot
Bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and chicken. of energy. And as an entrepreneur, I don’t
They should be a nutritious, flavourful meal rest—especially not mentally. I’m constantly
blended with diverse ingredients.” thinking about how to improve the brand.”
Motivated to create something better, Crucial to her success has been the support
Mariam began experimenting with system she’s built—mentors, family, and
homemade ramen sauces. After extensive peers who believe in her vision. Among
research and testing, she created a them are Darrin Bossence, a leader in the
prototype of her now-signature Spicy automotive industry and, Andre Samuels,
Chicken Ramen Sauce and shared it with co-founder of SeeWhy Learning, where
about 100 friends, family, and community Mariam works translating financial study
members for feedback. materials into French.

“I didn’t have a single person come “They are always giving me advice and
back and say, ‘This isn’t good,’” she urging me not to give up,” she says. “Andre
is an entrepreneur too, so for him to see
laughs. “That’s when I knew there potential in me means a lot.”
was something here—and I had the
passion to see it through.”
If passion, vision, and motivation Hard work and perseverance were instilled
are the cornerstones of in Mariam from an early age. Her parents—a
entrepreneurial success, then pharmaceutical laboratory technician
Mariam Ayob is already well ahead and a university professor—fled war-torn
of the curve. Afghanistan when she was four, eventually
settling in Pakistan before immigrating to
In just over a year, she has transformed Montreal. The multilingual entrepreneur
a long-standing appreciation for quality (she speaks French and Hindi) later moved
food into a rapidly growing business to Ontario, where she pursued a degree in
venture — Askawayrecipes Inc. — featuring psychology at York University with dreams
her own bold and colourful line of ramen of becoming a homicide investigator. Looking ahead, Mariam has ambitious goals
sauces. “For some reason, that was in me,” she says. for Askawayrecipes: expanding the product
“My ramen noodles are not typical,” says “Even now, I still love to investigate and line, reaching over 100 retail locations
Mariam. “They have lots of colour and look at things from different angles.” nationwide, and establishing a dedicated
spices.” A hiring freeze in law enforcement rerouted production hub in Ontario. Currently, her
Her journey began on Instagram and her career. Mariam explored roles in sauces are produced and packaged in
Facebook, where she playfully named the skincare industry and tech support Brantford.
her accounts "Askawayrecipes" and before landing in financial services, where “For the long term, I see Askawayrecipes as
encouraged followers to engage with her she worked in compliance at a financial a household name in clean-label, globally
culinary creations. Many of the dishes she institution for over four years. Today, inspired cooking solutions,” she says.
shared were inspired by meals she enjoyed she’s also completing her PFP designation Despite her busy schedule, Mariam still
while dining out. (Personal Financial Planning), just one finds time to give back to her community.
“I’m very good at tasting,” she explains. exam away from certification. She sits on the board of the Cambridge
“As I visited different restaurants, I would But her culinary calling continued to grow Food Bank and volunteers at The Visiting
replicate their meals at home, even stronger. Friendly Program remaining deeply
without knowing the exact ingredients. I committed to the meaningful connections.
could remember the colours, the textures, Since officially launching Askawayrecipes “The best part of owning a business is
and identify the spices just by taste, then in September 2024, Mariam has expanded building something meaningful from the
post it on social media along with my own her product line to six unique sauces, ground up—especially a product that
homemade recipes.” now available in almost 40 retail stores connects people through food,” she says.
as well as online. Despite the demanding
In 2020, during the early days of the schedule—which includes in-store demos “Food is love, care, and comfort. It’s not
pandemic, Mariam was working in the and appearances at community events— always easy. You wear many hats, balance
compliance department at a financial she still travels to Montreal regularly to creativity with logistics, and face funding
institution in the city. On her way home, visit family, test new recipes, and support challenges—but it’s all part of the journey.”
she often picked up ramen noodles from a the retail stores carrying her products in To learn more, visit www.askawayrecipes.ca.
popular spot—until she realized what was that city.
lacking.

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