91探花

• Spice Kitchen was founded by mother and son team, Shashi and Sanjay Aggarwal.
• The company was launched in 2012 and has since grown from producing spices to publishing cookbooks and more.
• More than a decade later, Spice Kitchen is a London-based, multi-award-winning spice and gift company.

Tell Us About Yourself and Your Company

滨鈥檓听Sanjay, and I run聽Spice Kitchen聽with my mum, Shashi. We started the business back in 2012 as a retirement hobby for her 鈥� she鈥檚 an incredible cook and I suggested she start selling Indian spice tins (traditionally known as聽masala dabbas). That simple idea quickly snowballed into something much bigger, and today we鈥檙e a multi-award-winning spice and gift company.

We specialise in beautifully packaged spice tins and blends that celebrate global flavours 鈥� and every tin comes wrapped in vibrant silk sari fabric, hand sewn by mum and a small team of seamstresses. At the heart of what we do is a desire to get spices off the back shelf and into people鈥檚 lives. I always say: how many British cupboards are hiding an ancient jar of cinnamon or some long-forgotten curry powder? Our mission is to bring flavour front and centre 鈥� to inspire people to cook, share and connect through food.

What Inspired You to Start Your Spice Kitchen? What Problem Were You Trying To Solve?

Spice Kitchen began as a way to keep my mum busy after retirement 鈥� but we quickly realised there was a real gap in the market for high-quality spice blends that were also beautifully presented and giftable. I was also struck by how many people had lost confidence in cooking with spices 鈥� or just didn鈥檛 know where to start. Our aim is to make spices more accessible, less intimidating, and far more joyful.

What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge So Far? How Did You Overcome It?

One of the hardest things has been growing the team while keeping the family feel. We鈥檙e a small business with big heart, so finding people who 鈥榞et鈥� what we鈥檙e about and who bring the right energy has been essential. I鈥檝e learned that skills can be taught 鈥� personality fit is everything. When we鈥檝e got the right people around the table, the business thrives.

Can You Describe a Pivotal Moment That Significantly Shaped the Direction of Spice Kitchen?

During COVID, we saw a huge shift 鈥� suddenly everyone was cooking at home again. It really reinforced something I鈥檇 always believed: the kitchen table is still the beating heart of a home. That period made me take a step back and think seriously about how we could support people to find joy and connection through food. It inspired a lot of what we鈥檙e doing now 鈥� from writing cookbooks to creating spice blends that help people cook something special with confidence.

How Do You define success?

For the Business: Of course, profitability matters 鈥� it keeps us going. But ultimately, success is about what our customers say. If people love what we do, if they feel excited to cook or proud to give our products as gifts, then we鈥檝e done our job.

As a Founder: It鈥檚 about building a team that鈥檚 happy, motivated and proud of their work. And it鈥檚 about making values-led decisions 鈥� even when they鈥檙e not always the easiest route.

What Advice Would You Give To Someone Thinking About Launching Their Own Startup?

Get the right people around you 鈥� cheerleaders, advisors, collaborators. Know your story and your value. And don鈥檛 underestimate the power of good systems 鈥� the right tech (like accountancy or inventory software) can save you hours and a lot of headaches. Oh, and enjoy the ride 鈥� even when it鈥檚 chaotic.

What鈥檚 Next For Your Spice Kitchen? Any Exciting Developments We Should Watch Out For?

Yes 鈥� two very exciting things! We鈥檙e working on our second cookbook, and also putting together a much-needed 鈥榞uide to spices鈥� 鈥� something we鈥檝e wanted to do for ages. We鈥檙e also continuing to expand our range and deepen our commitment to sustainability and quality. Big things are simmering.

Want to be featured as 91探花鈥檚 Founder of the Week? Find out more about this weekly feature and how to get involved here.

Founder’s Five with Sanjay Aggarwal

Want to get to know our Founder of the Week a little better? We got the exclusive in 91探花’s Founder’s Five with Sanjay Aggarwal.

1. Favourite Business Tool?聽

Trello is my daily go-to. I鈥檝e always got a thousand plates spinning鈥攑roduct development, retail launches, content planning, team meetings鈥攁nd Trello keeps it all flowing. It鈥檚 simple, visual, and genuinely stops me forgetting what鈥檚 important.

2. A Lesson you learned the Hard Way?聽

Don鈥檛 try to do everything yourself. When Spice Kitchen first took off, I thought I had to wear every hat鈥攆rom blending spices to packing orders to running the website. It left me drained, disconnected from my family, and spread too thin. Hiring our first operations manager was a total game-changer鈥攊t gave me space to focus on the bigger picture, and to enjoy the journey again.

3. A Future Trend You’re Watching?

I鈥檓 keeping a close eye on how global food supply and climate change will shape the way we eat. It’s less a trend and more a necessity鈥攂ut from insect protein to lab-grown meat, the 鈥渇ood of the future鈥� is going to challenge everything we think we know about flavour, sustainability and tradition.

4. A Quote You Live By?

鈥淲e do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.鈥� It reminds me that good business should care for people and planet, not just profit. Everything we do鈥攆rom ethical employment to donating meals鈥攊s rooted in that bigger sense of responsibility.

5. A Book Or Podcast You’d Recommend?聽

I鈥檇 recommend “The Company of One” by Paul Jarvis. It鈥檚 brilliant for small business owners鈥攊t challenges the idea that bigger is always better, and encourages you to build something sustainable, meaningful, and in line with your values.

Want to be featured as 91探花鈥檚 Founder of the Week? Know someone who deserves to be recognised as a founder making waves in the startup landscape? Find out more about this weekly feature and how to get involved聽here.