The Breakfast That Built a Community: Experiencing the Mount Moritz Model
Grenada Diaspora Homecoming, Day 2
Just after 6:00 a.m., I was picked up from my hotel for the relatively short journey to Mount Moritz, arriving among the first visitors for what has become one of Grenada’s most celebrated community breakfasts.
It didn’t take long to understand why.
Set against an immaculately maintained playing field, park benches and neatly arranged chairs sat beneath sprawling tents, ready to welcome the hundreds of patrons who would soon arrive. Beyond them, towering trees framed the venue, their leaves gently swaying in the cool morning breeze as the sounds of birdsong filled the air. The crisp mountain air carried the unmistakable aroma of Grenadian breakfast favourites, creating a scene that felt both peaceful and deeply familiar.
Standing there, before the crowds arrived, I found myself thinking about hearth and home.
There was nothing extravagant about the setting. Its beauty lay in its simplicity-a community gathering in the heart of the countryside to share food, conversation and each other’s company.
As the morning unfolded, that first impression only grew stronger.
As visitors gradually filtered in, it became clear that the breakfast was only one part of the experience.
Families greeted one another like old friends. Returning nationals embraced relatives and friends they hadn’t seen in years. Live music drifted across the field while vendors carefully arranged displays of fresh produce and local treats. Some patrons made a beeline for the food, while others lingered over conversations that seemed just as important as the meals themselves.
Held on the last Sunday of every month, the Mount Moritz Breakfast attracts residents from across Grenada, returning nationals and visitors eager to experience authentic Grenadian cuisine in an atmosphere that feels distinctly local.
To understand how it all began, I sat down with Lionel Goddard, one of the founding members and secretary of the Mount Moritz Community Development Organisation, a position he has held for the past 38 years.
“Our main aim is to bring our people together through sports, culture and whatever activity it takes to unite our community,” he explained.
That philosophy has shaped the organisation from the very beginning.
Long before the breakfast became its signature event, Mount Moritz had already established itself as one of Grenada’s most active communities. What started with an Easter cricket match eventually grew into a month-long village festival featuring football, cricket, athletics, swimming, volleyball, cultural competitions and community celebrations that drew returning nationals back home each year.
Like much of Grenada, Mount Moritz was forced to reinvent itself after Hurricane Ivan. The community needed a new way to bring people together while creating opportunities to support itself.
The answer was breakfast.
What began as a simple fundraising idea has since grown into an award-winning community initiative, earning national recognition as both Grenada’s Best Village and Best Eco-Tourism Product.
Yet what impressed me most wasn’t the scale of the event.
It was how it was made possible.
No one appeared to be working for recognition. They were simply working for Mount Moritz.
Every person serving food, directing traffic, arranging tables or helping visitors was doing so voluntarily.
“No one gets paid,” Goddard said matter-of-factly. “We give our service free to the community.”
At a time when volunteerism appears to be declining, Mount Moritz has quietly sustained this model for nearly four decades.
After every breakfast, the committee meets to evaluate what worked, identify what could be improved and begin planning for the next one. Every dollar raised is returned to the community.
The organisation maintains the playing field, supports residents facing medical emergencies, assists families during bereavement, contributes to local schools and funds activities for children, women and senior citizens throughout the year.
Listening to Goddard, I began to understand that the breakfast wasn’t the destination.
It was the vehicle.
The food may draw people to Mount Moritz, but it is the sense of shared responsibility that keeps the community thriving.
For a village of approximately 800 residents, the impact has been remarkable.
Goddard believes the organisation’s longevity is proof that communities become stronger when people invest in one another.
“We’ve been trying to promote this model because we think it’s one of the best models in Grenada,” he said. “The fact that this organisation has been able to sustain itself for 38 years shows that the model is definitely successful.”
He admits volunteerism is becoming more difficult to sustain as fewer people are able to give their time without financial reward. Even so, the organisation continues investing heavily in youth programmes, sports and community engagement, recognising that the next generation must eventually take the reins.
“We won’t be here forever,” he reflected. “If we don’t have people to take over from us and learn from us, all that we’re doing now will die.”
His words lingered with me long after our conversation ended.
Perhaps that’s because Mount Moritz represents something many communities aspire to but few successfully achieve.
Here, neighbours don’t simply live alongside one another.
They actively look after one another.
The breakfast isn’t simply about fried bakes, jacks, and cocoa tea. It is about preserving a culture of service, ensuring neighbours continue to look after one another and proving that communities thrive when everyone is willing to contribute.
It is a philosophy that aligns perfectly with the spirit of Grenada Diaspora Homecoming.
Reflecting on the initiative, Goddard described it as “a wonderful idea” that gives Grenadians living abroad an opportunity to reconnect with their communities, witness the country’s development and discover meaningful ways to contribute to Grenada’s future.
By the time I left Mount Moritz, I understood why this monthly breakfast has become such a beloved Grenadian tradition. It wasn’t simply the food, the scenery or the music that made it memorable. It was the people and the unmistakable sense of community they have built together over nearly four decades.
It also left me thinking about what comes next.
Experiencing Mount Moritz also left me wondering whether this remarkable community has the potential to become an even stronger example of community-based tourism. The monthly breakfast already attracts visitors from across Grenada and the diaspora, but it’s easy to imagine the experience extending beyond a single Sunday morning.
A carefully curated weekend programme-where visitors could stay within the community, share meals with residents, tour nearby farms, learn traditional recipes and experience village life firsthand-would offer something increasingly rare in Caribbean tourism: authenticity. Done thoughtfully and on the community’s terms, it could create additional economic opportunities while preserving the very qualities that make Mount Moritz so special.
Of all the experiences I’ve enjoyed since arriving in Grenada for Diaspora Homecoming 2026, this ranks among my absolute favourites.
If you’re planning a visit to the Spice Isle, do yourself a favour: make sure the Mount Moritz Breakfast is at the very top of your itinerary. Come hungry, arrive early, and prepare to leave with a far deeper appreciation for the warmth, generosity and community spirit that make Grenada so special.
