For our Nottingham makers series, we asked Tom one of the founders of Freshly Spiced a few questions to get to know more about him as well as the story behind Freshly Spiced.

1. What inspired you to start Freshly Spiced?  

I have always had an interest in cooking and trying new cuisines. I had experience in the food industry and would often create my own spice blends as shop bought ones generally were not up to scratch. My family also had a strong background with spices as my grandfather owned one of the first spice shops in Nottingham in the 1960’s and would grind his own spices. Whilst this wasn’t the reason for me pursuing this the knowledge that had been passed to my father and his siblings naturally passed over to the next generation. I was keen to showcase a wide range of freshly ground spices and spice blends from world cuisines and not just curry mixes that would stand out from shop bought and yet still remain competitive for pricing to make them a regular in people’s weekly shop. 

2. Which product do you use most for home cooking?

We use a wide range of spices and herbs and often find Za’atar is our go to spice. Having two young children, spices that provide flavour without too much heat is important to introduce them to different tastes. Za’atar with it’s earthy, herb background and zest from sumac is great on chicken, fish and we use it weekly on our Sunday roast for both chicken and roast potatoes. 

3. Which product would you recommend people to try to start with if they are not experienced in cooking with spices?

As mentioned above Za’atar is a great one stop mix. However we would also recommend Ras El Hanout as a really complex blend perfect for slow cooker dishes or simple marinades. It is very aromatic and not overpowering.

4. What does Nottingham mean to you?

Both myself and Claire are from Nottingham and it is a great place to experience a mix of cultures and cuisines. It has a great range of independent restaurants, deli’s and farmshops for people to try and wealth of amazing food. It is really a foodie destination. It also has a wide range of farmers/village markets which have grown in size, attracting people from further afield. 

4. Where do you see Freshly Spiced in five years?

We are very proud with what we have achieved since starting Freshly Spiced. Growing the business from nothing to having strong online presence, stocked in a variety of shops and still being able to attend local events. We are passionate about continuing to grow, we have new products in the pipeline and would like to see our reach expand further than the UK.