Product Guru Supplier Focus – Into the World of Spice Kitchen

Spice Kitchen is a family-owned artisanal spice and tea company run by mother and son team Sanjay & Shashi Aggarwal. They specialise in producing small-batch, freshly ground spice blends and tea blends. They source the freshest raw spices from around the world, and then hand-blend, hand-roast and hand-grind them to authentic recipes.

 

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When was your company formed? Where are you based? What do you produce?
 
Spice Kitchen is a family-owned spice company run by me (Sanjay) and my amazing mum (Shashi). We have always shared a love of food, spice and cooking, and now we get to do this with the world! We are based in Liverpool. 
 
On Christmas Day in 2012, me and mum were sat at the kitchen table. She shared with me that she was keen to have a project and something to keep her busy after being retired for five years. And, if you know my mum, you'll realise there is NO WAY she could fully retire; she's got WAY too much energy!
 
I've no idea where the idea came from, but I suggested that she might enjoy selling spice tins. She had spent her life lovingly cooking with spices (and gifting blends to family and friends who raved about them), and it seemed to be the perfect thing that she could do as a hobby and definitely something she would love. Mum's vast knowledge of spices, her heritage growing up in Kenya and India cooking for the family, is the foundation on which everything we do is built. 
 
We sat together and made a Masala Dabba tin that afternoon and listed it on eBay. To our complete surprise, the tin sold the next day, and Spice Kitchen was born! We never set out to make money or even create a business, but that silly little idea over a decade ago has changed our lives.
 
We have a close working relationship, having all helped to run a successful family retail business in the past, and together we have turned what started as a small retirement project into a thriving little family business. 
 
How many people work for the business?
 
We have an amazing team of 17 people who we refer to as our' extended family'. This includes our office and creative team and the people who pack and send the orders for us. 
 
Who do you sell to?
 
Our lovely sari-dressed spice tins and spices appeal to domestic customers and retailers alike. We successfully sell directly to our customers via our website and other large e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, eBay, Not on the High Street, Etsy, and Friends of Joules.  
 
We also sell to some lovely independent retailers – such as Lakeland – and a broad range of gift, farm shops, delis and garden centres. 
 
Is there a specific product you're particularly proud of and why?
 
Our Indian Spice Tin with Silk Sari Wrap is our original product and definitely our flagship bestseller. Every sari wrap is unique, meaning that customers receive a genuine artisan product perfect for gifting and self-gifting. 
 
This product has won the Gift of the Year Award in 2022 and also previously in 2015. 
 
The product – traditionally known as a Masala Dabba – has a rich cultural heritage and story, in that mothers in India used to give one to their daughters on the eve of their wedding day. We now see loads of parents buying these tins for their children during a rite of passage moment, such as heading off to university, buying a first home, or getting married. It's so lovely to keep the tradition alive. 
 
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What do you most enjoy about running your business?
 
Literally everything! I sometimes can't believe I get to do this every day and will still pinch myself when I walk into the warehouse and see all of the tins lined up. Working with mum is great, too; she is such an incredible human being, and it's great to be able to build something together that customers genuinely love. 
 
For us, sharing our love of spice is a big deal, and we are just about to release our secret family Garam Masala recipe that's been in the family for generations. 
 
It's been a big deal. When I first spoke to my parents about this, they thought I was nuts. Why would we give away a recipe that has been passed through the generations, particularly when it's a spice blend we sell at Spice Kitchen? But for me, the mystery around cooking with spices has to stop.
 
There seems to be this idea that spices are difficult to cook with or that you have to have some special knowledge or history to get it right. It's simply not true. Cooking with spices can be fun and easy, and it's accessible to anyone and everyone willing to give it a try. Of course, the option is still there for anyone who wants to purchase a pre-made blend, but it's super easy and fun to try at home.
 
Being born into a family that has always cooked with spices, I've benefited from this knowledge. But I'm aware that many people aren't. Why wouldn't I want to share what I know?
 
If you'd like to have a go yourself, you can check the recipe out here
 
What do you think of the free Product Guru platform? What encouraged you to join?
 
"It's such a great space and opportunity for small businesses like Spice Kitchen to get the word out there. Everyone is feeling the pinch after the last few years and so having the chance to collaborate and share information on a free platform is something we were always going to take advantage of. I would recommend it highly."
 
- Sanjay Aggarwal, Founder 

 

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