The British Pepper & Spice
The British Pepper & Spice is the UK's largest retail manufacturer of herbs and spices, operating two facilities producing dry and wet ranges. The Northampton-based SHS Group subsidiary supplies all major UK retailers via private label and own brands, foodservice operators, and European food manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNorthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The British Pepper & Spice does
The British Pepper & Spice is a UK-based manufacturer of herbs, spices, seasonings, condiments, and cooking pastes, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of SHS Group. The company runs two dedicated production facilities: a dry range plant in Northampton (Rhosili Road, Brackmills) covering curry powders, seasonings, dried herbs, spices, home baking and drink-garnish lines, and a wet range facility in Eastleigh (Chandlers Ford) producing condiments, table sauces, cooking pastes, marinades, salsas, dips, and herb/spice purees. The company maintains a Centre of Excellence for herbs and spices handling, an in-house CLAS-accredited laboratory for quality analysis, and whole-spice milling capability specifically designed to mitigate adulteration and allergen risk in the supply chain; the Northampton site also houses a bespoke curry plant producing 100+ authentic blends from around the world. Source data indicates the company is the UK's largest retail supplier of herbs and spices with over 33% market share, packs upwards of 120 million units annually, and that more than 90% of UK households have at least one product in their kitchen attributable to British Pepper & Spice.
The company generates revenue through three distinct channels. The Retail channel supplies all major UK retailers on a private label basis and sells own brands including The Creative Cook, Gordons, and Millstone. The Foodservice channel distributes wholesale and bulk products under Millstone Herbs and Spices, Eastern Star Curry Powder, and Gordons into commercial kitchens. The Ingredients channel provides tailored solutions to European food manufacturers under the Optimax and Dryfix brands. Underlying infrastructure includes a 35+ country supply chain, formal sustainability commitments under the Roadmap to 2025 (including WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap sign-up and a 160+ country supplier scorecard), and adherence to ETI Base Code, Sedex RADAR, Stronger Together, and Business in the Community standards. SHS Group, the parent, reports 1,200 employees across its portfolio, while firmographic data attributes 101-250 employees specifically to British Pepper & Spice. No consumer pricing is publicly disclosed as all transactions are wholesale or B2B.
The British Pepper & Spice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The British Pepper & Spice
- Legal name
- British Pepper and Spice Limited
- Website
- https://britishpepper.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The British Pepper & Spice is the UK's largest retail manufacturer of herbs and spices, operating two facilities producing dry and wet ranges. The Northampton-based SHS Group subsidiary supplies all major UK retailers via private label and own brands, foodservice operators, and European food manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The British Pepper & Spice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Spice and Seasoning Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes) (AFAJANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mustard Manufacturing (AFAKADAD), Whole Spices (Seeds, Pods, Bark, Roots) (AFAJANAA), Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades) (AFAJANAK), Pepper & Peppercorn Products (Black/White/Green, Cracked Pepper) (AFAJANAF), Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)
Keywords
Where The British Pepper & Spice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
The British Pepper & Spice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Private Label Manufacturing: Manufactures herbs, spices, and seasonings under private label for all major UK retailers. Core B2B revenue stream.
- Own Retail Brands: Produces and sells own retail brands including The Creative Cook, Gordons, and Millstone through retail channels.
- Foodservice Sales: Wholesale and bulk sales through own brands (Millstone Herbs and Spices, Eastern Star Curry Powder, Gordons) and private-label ranges to commercial kitchens.
- Ingredients/B2B: Provides tailored ingredient solutions to food manufacturers with two dedicated brands: Optimax and Dryfix.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
The British Pepper & Spice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
British Pepper & Spice is the UK's leading manufacturer of herbs, spices, seasonings, condiments and cooking pastes, sourcing and processing more than 40 herbs and 40 spices plus 100 authentic curry powder blends. It operates two dedicated manufacturing plants — a dry range facility in Northampton and a wet range facility in Chandlers Ford — and serves UK retailers (via private label and own brands), UK foodservice operators and European food manufacturers.
Product overview
British Pepper & Spice is a UK-based manufacturer offering two main product lines: Wet Range (traditional condiments, table sauces, cooking pastes, marinades, salsas/dips, and herb/spice purees) and Dry Range (40+ herbs, 40+ spices, 100 curry powder blends, seasonings, dried sundries, home baking ingredients, and drink garnishes). Products are distributed through three channels: Retail (with brands The Creative Cook, Gordons, Millstone), Foodservice (Millstone Herbs and Spices, Eastern Star Curry Powder, Gordons), and Ingredients (Optimax, Dryfix). The company operates two manufacturing facilities—one for wet products in Chandlers Ford and one for dry products in Northampton—serving UK retail, wholesale foodservice, and European food manufacturers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Creative Cook: Retail brand for herbs and spices
- Gordons
- Millstone
- Eastern Star Curry Powder
- Optimax
- Dryfix
Products and services
- Wet Range Wet range product line of traditional condiments, table sauces, ingredient pastes, herb and spice pastes, marinades, salsas and ketchups manufactured at the Chandlers Ford facility.
- Dry Range Dry range product line of over 40 herbs, over 40 spices, 100+ authentic curry powder blends, seasonings, dried sundries, home baking ingredients and drink garnishes manufactured at the Northampton facility.
- The Creative Cook Retail brand of herbs and spices sold through major UK retailers.
- Gordons Retail and foodservice brand of herbs, spices and seasoning products.
- Millstone Retail and foodservice brand of herbs, spices and seasonings.
- Eastern Star Curry Powder Foodservice-specific curry powder brand sold through wholesale and bulk channels.
- Optimax Ingredients sector brand providing tailored B2B ingredient solutions for food manufacturers.
- Dryfix Ingredients sector brand providing tailored B2B ingredient solutions for food manufacturers.
Companies that use The British Pepper & Spice
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The British Pepper & Spice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The British Pepper & Spice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- WRAP (Water & Resources Action Programme)coreIn 2021, signed up to WRAP's Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and set additional food waste targets as part of this commitment. This supports British Pepper & Spice's sustainability strategy and Roadmap To 2025.
- Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)coreAdheres to ETI Base Code principles as a minimum standard in supplier management. Requires suppliers to be fully aligned to ETI base code within supplier management process.
- SedexsupportingUses Sedex resources including Sedex RADAR to support work on supply chain due diligence and risk assessments for human rights and sustainability.
- Business in the Community (BITC)coreMember of Business in the Community, an organization promoting responsible business. Received BITC NI Core Responsible Business Standard in 2021.
- GroceryAidsupportingThrough SHS Group membership, contributes to GroceryAid which provides support to grocery industry employees and supports local business networks and forums.
- Stronger TogethersupportingUses Stronger Together resources for Modern Slavery Risk Assessment. % of SHS Group sites to complete Modern Slavery Risk Assessment is a KPI.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The British Pepper & Spice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- McCormick & Company: Global leader in spices, seasonings, and flavor solutions and the dominant manufacturer competing with BPS in UK retail through the Schwartz brand. Directly comparable across product categories (spice blends, seasonings, curry powders), channels (retail private label and own brands), and end-customers (UK grocers and foodservice).
- Premier Foods: Large UK-listed food manufacturer (Mr Kipling, Bisto, Sharwood's, Loyd Grossman sauces) supplying all major UK grocers across ambient cooking and sauce categories. Competes with BPS in private-label and branded sauces, condiments, and cooking ingredients via the brands portfolio.
- Kerry Group (Taste & Nutrition): Global taste and nutrition ingredients giant (which acquired Bart Ingredients) serving food manufacturers and foodservice with seasonings, coatings, and functional ingredients. Overlaps with BPS's ingredients channel offering tailored seasoning systems to European manufacturers.
Direct peers
- Bart Ingredients: UK-based herbs, spices, and seasonings brand and manufacturer serving retail, foodservice, and food manufacturing. Competes head-to-head with BPS in British private-label and own-brand herb/spice programs and uses a similar multi-channel GTM.
- Fuchs Gewürze: Germany-based family-owned spice and seasoning manufacturer with private-label and industrial customer bases across Europe. Comparable to BPS in product breadth, European food-manufacturer ingredient supply, and multi-channel distribution model.
- Fiddes Payne: UK-based herb and spice merchant and blender supplying food manufacturers, foodservice, and retailers. Directly comparable in scale, product offering, and private-label capability for UK and European customers.
- AB World Foods (Patak's): UK-based ethnic food and sauce manufacturer (Patak's, Blue Dragon, Levi Roots) — a subsidiary of Associated British Foods. Overlaps with BPS in Asian cooking pastes, curry powders, condiments, and table sauces for UK retail and foodservice.
Regional players
- Whitworths: UK-based specialist in dried ingredients (nuts, seeds, fruit, baking) supplying major UK retailers via private label and own brand. Adjacent peer with comparable private-label manufacturing model, UK retail relationships, and ambient ingredients category focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The British Pepper & Spice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The British Pepper & Spice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The British Pepper & Spice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The British Pepper & Spice 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 The British Pepper & Spice
What does The British Pepper & Spice do?
British Pepper & Spice is the UK's leading manufacturer of herbs, spices, seasonings, condiments and cooking pastes, sourcing and processing more than 40 herbs and 40 spices plus 100 authentic curry powder blends. It operates two dedicated manufacturing plants — a dry range facility in Northampton and a wet range facility in Chandlers Ford — and serves UK retailers (via private label and own brands), UK foodservice operators and European food manufacturers.
Is The British Pepper & Spice a public or private company?
The British Pepper & Spice is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The British Pepper & Spice founded?
The British Pepper & Spice was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The British Pepper & Spice based?
The British Pepper & Spice is headquartered in Northampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The British Pepper & Spice make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Label Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are own Retail Brands, foodservice Sales and ingredients/B2B.
Who are The British Pepper & Spice's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are McCormick & Company, Premier Foods and Kerry Group (Taste & Nutrition). Direct peers are Bart Ingredients, Fuchs Gewürze, Fiddes Payne and AB World Foods (Patak's). Whitworths is listed as a regional player.
Does The British Pepper & Spice have an API?
No public API is recorded for The British Pepper & Spice.
What industry is The British Pepper & Spice in?
The British Pepper & Spice's product category is Spice and Seasoning Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJANAD, Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes), with a secondary code of AFAKADAD, Mustard Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311942 and its SIC code is 2090.