Indian restaurant chain Shere Khan is launching a complete range of curry sauces and rices in a bid to create a £2.5m retail brand.

The four-strong chain has sold a limited range of sauces in glass jars for the past seven years, worth about £500,000. However, the new range will be repackaged in pouches and expanded into rices, pastes, chutneys and mini poppadoms. It is due to announce its first listing with a major multiple later this month.

The range, produced under licence by Simpsons of Manchester, contains no artificial flavours, colourings, starch or thickening agents. The line up will also include canned chick pea dhal and Bombay potato by September.

The company plans to launch the range internationally, having received orders from Belgium, Spain, France, Mexico and the US.

The range, forecast to be worth £2.5m within 18 months, will be backed with a national press campaign in women's interest and food titles such as Good Food magazine.