Spice Kitchen
Spice Kitchen is a UK family-run specialty food company that sells small-batch, ethically sourced spice blends, signature sari-wrapped tins, gift hampers, and cookbooks direct-to-consumer via its website and wholesale through retailers including John Lewis, Selfridges, Oxfam, and Uncommon Goods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Spice Kitchen does
Spice Kitchen is a UK-based, family-run specialty food company founded in 2012 by mother-and-son duo Shashi and Sanjay Aggarwal, headquartered at 9 Skyhawk Avenue, Liverpool. The company sells small-batch, ethically sourced spice blends packaged in signature recycled silk sari-wrapped tins (produced by an in-house team of seamstresses), alongside gift hampers, recipe kits, cookware, spiced chocolate and drinks, and cookbooks. Core technical capabilities centre on small-batch blending with a 6–8 month freshness window after opening, complemented by a recently deployed cloud-based software system (a £40,000 investment partially funded by a 2023 £20,000 Made Smarter grant) intended to improve efficiency, product quality, and scalability.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce through spicekitchenuk.com (free UK delivery over £25) with a broad wholesale distribution network spanning John Lewis, Selfridges, Notcutts, Oxfam, and hundreds of independent farm shops, delis, and garden centres across the UK, plus international reach to the USA and Canada via Uncommon Goods. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from approximately £3 individual spice blends to £60 premium gift collections and corporate/volume wholesale orders. Customer segments centre on home cooks and food enthusiasts, gift buyers, retail partners, and socially conscious consumers reached through charity-linked products.
Spice Kitchen monetises through three revenue streams: direct e-commerce sales (one-time), wholesale to retailers (transaction-based), and a wholesale application programme for trade partners. Brand equity is reinforced by 13 Great Taste Awards in 2023, two Gift of the Year wins (2017 and 2022) for the Indian Spice Tin, BBC Good Food Show Producers Bursary recognition, and consistent PR placement across Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Marie Claire, Food & Wine, and Radio 4. Charity partnerships (Akshaya Patra's One Tin: One Meal, Save the Children, Oxfam, The Leprosy Mission, AKT) and co-branded collaborations with food personalities Chetna Makan, Hey Renu (Renu Bhardwaj), and The Curry Guy (Dan Toombs) function as both cause-marketing and product development engines. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors or controlling parent entity.
Spice Kitchen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spice Kitchen
- Legal name
- Spice Kitchen
- Website
- https://spicekitchenuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Spice Kitchen is a UK family-run specialty food company that sells small-batch, ethically sourced spice blends, signature sari-wrapped tins, gift hampers, and cookbooks direct-to-consumer via its website and wholesale through retailers including John Lewis, Selfridges, Oxfam, and Uncommon Goods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spice Kitchen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Foods & Spices
- NAICS
- Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes) (AFAJANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades) (AFAJANAK), Ground & Powdered Spices (AFAJANAB), Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)
Keywords
Where Spice Kitchen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spice Kitchen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through spicekitchenuk.com website, offering spice blends, gift sets, cookware, chocolate and drinks with free delivery over £25
- Wholesale to Retailers: Supply to major retailers including John Lewis, Selfridges, Notcutts, Oxfam and hundreds of independent farm shops, delis and garden centres across the UK
- Wholesale Program: Wholesale application process for businesses to stock Spice Kitchen products, with 48-hour response time on applications
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Spice Blends |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Feasting and Recipe Kits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Hampers and Collections |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Spiced Chocolate and Drinks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Vouchers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate/Volume Orders |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Spice Kitchen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spice Kitchen sells small-batch blended spices, signature handmade sari-wrapped spice tins, feasting and recipe kits, spiced chocolate bars, hot chocolates and mulling spices, gift hampers and gift vouchers, and a curated cookery book collection. Offerings span Indian, Middle Eastern, Tex-Mex, Caribbean, Sri Lankan, and other global cuisines and are sold both directly to consumers via spicekitchenuk.com and wholesale to UK and international retailers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Signature Spice Blends
Quantifiable outcome
- 13 Great Taste Awards won in 2023 for Signature Spice Blends range
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spice Kitchen
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Spice Kitchen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Spice Kitchen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Akshaya Patra FoundationcoreThrough the One Tin: One Meal programme, every spice tin purchase donates a meal to a school child in education in India, helping children choose schooling over working to feed themselves.
- Save The ChildrencoreCollaboration on World Spice Collection gift set designed by children from around the world, with children helping to design the packaging. Also provides platform in Oxfam shops.
- OxfamcoreStocked in Oxfam shops and online, with co-creation of exclusive spiced hot chocolate. Sanjay appeared in their flagship London stores on launch day.
- The Leprosy MissionminorProducts stocked in their stores, with a portion of sales supporting their worldwide work combating leprosy.
- AKT (Albert Kennedy Trust)minorCharity partner for Pride Month limited edition tin, supporting LGBTQIA+ young people aged 16-25 who are facing homelessness or living in hostile environments.
- Chetna MakancoreCollaboration on Chetna Makan Spice Kit featuring four Indian Masala spice blends, supporting her cookbook 'Celebrate Diwali'.
- Hey Renu (Renu Bhardwaj)coreCollaboration with British-Indian recipe creator on limited edition Renu's Chaat Masala, Indian Spice Tin, and Celebrate Diwali cookbook bundle.
- The Curry Guy (Dan Toombs)coreBest-selling curry author collaboration producing bespoke masalas (Base Sauce Blend, Garam Masala, Madras Powder, Mixed Powder) to accompany his ten curry-focused cookbooks.
- John LewiscoreMajor UK department store retailer stocking Spice Kitchen products across their stores.
- SelfridgescorePremium UK department store retailer stocking Spice Kitchen products.
- NotcuttsminorGarden centre chain retailing Spice Kitchen products.
- Uncommon GoodscoreUS-based retailer and marketplace distributing Spice Kitchen products to customers in USA and Canada.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Spice Kitchen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Spice Kitchen social profiles
Digital presenceSpice Kitchen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spice Kitchen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Spice Kitchen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spice Kitchen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spice Kitchen
What does Spice Kitchen do?
Spice Kitchen sells small-batch blended spices, signature handmade sari-wrapped spice tins, feasting and recipe kits, spiced chocolate bars, hot chocolates and mulling spices, gift hampers and gift vouchers, and a curated cookery book collection. Offerings span Indian, Middle Eastern, Tex-Mex, Caribbean, Sri Lankan, and other global cuisines and are sold both directly to consumers via spicekitchenuk.com and wholesale to UK and international retailers.
Is Spice Kitchen a public or private company?
Spice Kitchen is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Spice Kitchen founded?
Spice Kitchen was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Spice Kitchen based?
Spice Kitchen is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Spice Kitchen make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale to Retailers and wholesale Program.
Does Spice Kitchen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spice Kitchen.
What industry is Spice Kitchen in?
Spice Kitchen's product category is Specialty Foods & Spices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJANAD, Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes), with a secondary code of AFAJANAK, Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades). Its NAICS code is 311942 and its SIC code is 2090.