As a fine food wholesaler distributing to convenience stores, farm shops and delis, we are always on the lookout for new and different products to add to our store cupboard and grocery product line up.

 

This year, among our new store cupboard suppliers is Sauce Shop, with its tasty range of sauces and condiments.  We caught up with owner, James, to find out a little bit more about the business and what predictions he has for the store cupboard market over the next year.

 

Why did you start Sauce Shop?

 

My wife Pam and I started the business in 2014 after being dissatisfied by the bland flavour and gloopy consistency of the condiments we were buying.  So we started selling our own sauces at local farmers markets and things took off from there.  We left our jobs and went full time in 2015 and haven’t looked back since!

 

What are your best sellers?

 

We have a few…our Sriracha Sauce is definitely up there, which is a chilli sauce made with lacto-fermented chillies.  Also, our South Carolina BBQ Sauce – a mustard based piquant BBQ sauce.  Finally, the classic Tomato Ketchup.  Ours is made with real tomatoes, no puree or concentrate, and using real onions and garlic to give it that fresh and homemade taste.

 

What is the current state of the store cupboard category?


It’s a category that’s long been dominated by big brands who haven’t moved with the times and are looking old and tired compared to the multitude of small innovative brands that have launched in recent years.  I think many areas have had a renaissance recently, such as coffee, beer and gin.  These craft brands are putting their emphasis on quality and I think this is something now hitting the store cupboard category too.

 

Do you have any trend predictions for the category and fine food industry as a whole?

 

I think the category will become more innovative and interesting in terms of flavours and product areas and this will be driven largely by start-up brands.  I imagine larger brands will try to gain a piece of this action by launching their own ‘start-up’ sub brands.  Similarly, I think the supermarkets and convenience stores will be listing more products from small challenger brands to keep their own ranges interesting in store. 

 

The fine food industry will need to act quicker than the supermarkets and introduce new or more interesting products to stay ahead.  For us, we are launching a limited edition flavour every 6-8 weeks to ensure our own range remains interesting to customers and retailers and fluid.

 

 

As a store cupboard and grocery wholesaler, we have an extensive range of the finest quality, delicious wholesale groceries including relishes, sauces, pasta and more! You can view the full range here or call us on 03452 606060.