A business, started by a couple in their kitchen at home, has been named the fifth fastest growing food and drink brand in the UK. Sauce Shop was founded by husband and wife James and Pam Digva in her home in West Bridgford in 2014.
In less than ten years, their products have gone from a local farmer’s market stall to selling in the millions, appearing on the shelves of national supermarket chains, multiple television appearances, no less than 34 Great Taste Awards and a turnover in 2022 of 3 million pounds sterling.
Standout flavors, from the simple tomato ketchup to the brussel sprout ketchup you either love or hate, have taken the sauce market by storm. Other condiments include original BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, and the hottest sauce they’ve ever made, ghost pepper ketchup.
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Sauce Shop received the accolade in the Alantra Food & Beverage Fast 50, which shows the 50 fastest growing private companies in the UK in 2022. Alumni include brands such as Gousto and Huel.
This year’s list was topped by meat alternative brand ‘This’, which posted a two-year compound annual sales growth of 246 per cent. Sauce Shop posted growth of 98 percent (2-year CAGR), putting it ahead of the number one brand from the previous year, Gousto, the meal kit company.
Co-founder Pam Digva said: “We have worked hard to bring something different to an inherently traditional market. We are both very proud to have our products in some of the UK’s leading supermarkets and restaurants, not to mention our loyal independent distributors.
“We’re an independent UK business through and through, so it’s amazing to have products on sale in some of the best food stores in the country. I don’t think we knew exactly what we had started all those years ago in our kitchen. Sauce Shop has grown from a kitchen table project to a full-scale manufacturing business and brand. It’s been a wild ride.”
The condiments can be found on the shelves at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda. They have appeared on TV shows like Food Unwrapped, Ainsley’s Good Mood Food, and Secrets of the Fast Food Giants.
Sauce Shop, also recently ranked 39th on the Startups 100, has gone from cooking 500 bottles at home to 40,000 a week. The company employs 35 people.
Using high-quality ingredients and natural flavors and no thickeners or stabilizers, the sauces are made and bottled in units on Centurion Way, near Riverside Retail Park, in Nottingham. Inspired by the craft beer industry, they constantly strive to innovate in flavor. “We have fun being different and it shows through our products and collaborations,” added Pam.
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