Spice Devils set to cook up a storm with Lidl agreement
By Maurice Garvey
CLONDALKIN based business Spice Devils has announced a major agreement with Lidl to stock its products at the retailer’s 152 stores in Ireland.
The award-winning fresh spices company are one of 54 small-to-medium Irish suppliers, who have been picked up by the German chain for its Kick Start Supplier development programme.
Lidl has invested €250k to help a variety of Irish suppliers grow and develop their business through the Kick Start programme.
Mauritian native Shakeel Jeeroburkan established Spice Devils from his kitchen in 2013, trying out his product at farmer’s markets with the help of his wife and son.
After securing a micro-finance loan and a grant from South Dublin County Council LEO office to kickstart the venture, the awards started to gather pace, and success led to Spice Devils being supplied to 30 SuperValu’s in Dublin.
“It is our biggest sale to date,” said Shakeel, a former Mauritian policeman and fourth generation biryani maker.
“We had to make up 4,000 packs for Lidl, about 20 for each store for it to hit shelves on September 11, so we have been very busy for the last three weeks to make sure everything is ready.
“It is great to be part of the Kick Start programme. Lidl are looking for local producers. I applied and was one of the lucky ones. The business has been a real learning experience and this is the next step.”
Based in the Ace Enterprise Centre in Bawnogue, Shakeel is essentially working on his own, with help from his wife, but is considering taking on more staff to cater for demand.
In 2017, Spice Devils have picked up awards at the UK FreeFrom Food Awards, a gold and two merits at the Irish FreeFrom Food Awards in May, and is a finalist at the UK Quality Food Awards, which takes place in November in London.
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