Spice Kitchen

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.

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

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

• Spice blends
• Artisan spices
• Gift hampers
• Spice tins
• Cooking kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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
2. 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
3. Wholesale Program: Wholesale application process for businesses to stock Spice Kitchen products, with 48-hour response time on applications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Akshaya Patra FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough 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 ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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.
• OxfamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStocked 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 MissionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts stocked in their stores, with a portion of sales supporting their worldwide work combating leprosy.
• AKT (Albert Kennedy Trust)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner for Pride Month limited edition tin, supporting LGBTQIA+ young people aged 16-25 who are facing homelessness or living in hostile environments.
• Chetna MakancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on Chetna Makan Spice Kit featuring four Indian Masala spice blends, supporting her cookbook 'Celebrate Diwali'.
• Hey Renu (Renu Bhardwaj)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration 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)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBest-selling curry author collaboration producing bespoke masalas (Base Sauce Blend, Garam Masala, Madras Powder, Mixed Powder) to accompany his ten curry-focused cookbooks.
• John LewiscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK department store retailer stocking Spice Kitchen products across their stores.
• SelfridgescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium UK department store retailer stocking Spice Kitchen products.
• NotcuttsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGarden centre chain retailing Spice Kitchen products.
• Uncommon GoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based retailer and marketplace distributing Spice Kitchen products to customers in USA and Canada.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spicekitchenuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/spicekitchenuk
• Instagraminstagram.com/spicekitchenuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@spicekitchenuk.com?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spice Kitchen