Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
If you ask me how I got here, I’m still wondering that myself. I'm the co-founder and Chief Spice Officer at Spice Kitchen, a family venture that started as a retirement project for my mum, Shashi, back in 2012. We make fresh spice blends and spice gifts, seling online, through retailers and as corporate gifts. I never imagined it would turn into what it has. We have even managed to snag a few awards along the way, including a whopping 17 Great Taste Awards and Gift of the Year twice. Together with my mum, I’ve been interviewed on Radio 4, featured in the DIT’s Big in America series with the amazing Alex Polizzi, cooked for the CEO of eBay and even made an appearance on James Martin and The Hairy Bikers. The press love mum's 'back from retirement' story and so you may have also seen us in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Daily Mail and the 'i'. In 2023, I took a big leap and released my very first cookery book, Spice Kitchen, published by Quadrille books, and in October, it made its way to the US and even ended up on Waterstones' 'Best Books of 2023' list. It's so surreal and massively humbling. In May 2025, Essential Spices for Dummies is launching which I am super proud to have written. Also in 2023, I found myself being welcomed into the 42 Under 42 business club for North West entrepreneurs and when I'm not running Spice Kitchen, I enjoy playing the role of mentor for other small businesses and proudly wear the hat of an export champion with the DBT. I'm so grateful for the journey, and I still can't believe I'm getting away with having so much fun doing something I love. Spice Kitchen may have started as a "silly little idea," but it has grown legs, and I'm happily along for the ride.
Retail Ready Academy helps food and gift brands get retail ready — without the guesswork. It’s built on real experience. Not theory. Spice Kitchen started at a family kitchen table and now supplies 600+ retailers, including QVC and Selfridges. We’ve made the mistakes. Learned the lessons. Negotiated the buyers. Survived the trade shows. Now we’re sharing what actually works. If you’re building a product brand and want to move beyond markets and into serious retail — you’re in the right place. Join the waitlist for early access, live training dates and founding member pricing. www.retailready.academy
Supporting FMCG businesses, in particular around supporting retailer growth in the UK and internationally as well as spice recipe development.
Founded an award-winning spice business back in 2012 as a retirement hobby for my incredible mum Shashi. We started out with a traditional Indian Spice Tin (aka as a Masala Dabba) that has now won the Gift of the Year award twice, and then expanded our range to include Indian, Middle Eastern, World and Chilli tins. More recently, we have focused in on mum’s expertise in blending, and have curated a range of Great Taste Award Winning spice blends – including our family Garam Masala recipe – amongst many others. We are sold in over 500 independent retailers and also larger department stores, including:- John Lewis, Selfridges, Cotswold Fayre, Marie Curie, Oxfam, Notcutts Garden Centre, Hampers.com, Vinegar Hill and the Westmorland Group. Mum’s expertise with spice blending – which I’ve been so fortunate to absorb all these years – led us to a cookery book deal in 2023 with Quadrille Books. The book made Waterstone’s Top Books of 2023 and has been released in the US too. Mum also hand sews all of the silk saris that dress our spice tins together with a team of seamstresses who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We donate a % of every tin sale to the Akshaya Patra Foundation, who ensure that a child who needs it is given a meal.
🌱 UK’s Only Natural Wine Cork Recycling Program At Recorked UK, we turn used wine corks into a force for good. We partner with pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, wine merchants and nightclubs across the country to collect natural wine corks and give them a second life. As a social enterprise, we operate not just for profit — we’re building a movement to create real environmental change. Together with our growing network of collection partners, we recycle millions of corks every year. We’re proud members of the Cork Industry Federation, which supports our mission and helps connect us with the wider wine industry. With billions more corks out there waiting to be recycled, we’re always looking for new partners and supporters. If you run a venue or love wine, join us — let’s turn cork waste into a win for the planet. 🌍 www.recorkeduk.org
👗 Ethical Sewing Studio | Empowering Local Talent What started as Mum’s “second retirement project” has grown into a thriving small business employing five talented seamstresses. We proudly produce high-quality sewn products for UK brands — from baby clothes and tea towels to gift bags and dresses — championing craftsmanship over fast fashion. Our mission is simple: create meaningful work, keep traditional sewing skills alive, and deliver beautiful, sustainable products for businesses nationwide. 🌐 www.sbys.co.uk
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Japan, China / Beijing Olympics 2008, USA, Canada, Ecuador, Easter Island, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Galapagos, Argentina, Antarctica, Brazil.