Armed with great recipes and huge ambition, Priya Lakhani gave up law to found Masala Masala and bring curry sauce to the chiller. Alex Beckett reports


Conducting market research is one method of gauging consumer response. Getting mobbed by so many hungry commuters that passing tramps take pity and help you distribute your product from the back of an illegally parked van is another entirely. Yet it was this bizarre episode that persuaded Priya Lakhani that she was on to a winner with her premium Indian sauce brand Masala Masala.

Following its official launch last September, Masala Masala's daal, shahi and karahi sauce tubs quickly gained listings in Harvey Nichols and Harrods, followed by Waitrose and Ocado in March.

Masala Masala is the product of a familiar modern day parable. Lakhani was working long hours as a barrister and found little time to cook when she got home in the evening. "I couldn't find an Indian sauce in the supermarket comparable to the curries I had been brought up on. I enjoyed my job as a barrister, but my true calling in life is to be a successful businesswoman."

Lakhani has entered a congested category, particularly at the premium end, where brands such as Patak's and Loyd Grossman have benefited from the trend for consumers to eat out less. Unlike these brands, Masala Masala sits in the chilled aisle and its additive and preservative-free recipes are made from fresh ingredients.

Although this makes for a shorter shelf life, the sauces aren't designed to stay around for long. Each pot is designed to be eaten in one sitting and feed four people. Lakhani believes the authentic recipes inspired by her mother, Dipa distinguish Masala Masala from its rivals. "I have only ever used one negotiating strategy: this is to force buyers to taste the product. More often than not it does the trick as the sauces really do sell themselves."

Lakhani's infectious enthusiasm for her business no doubt helps the selling process. But for her, success is not all about making profits. Named 2009 Daily Mail Young Entrepreneur of the Year, she has already set up a charity to help disadvantaged Indians. Through an arrangement with a Mumbai-based NGO charity, The Masala Masala Project pledges a hot meal to a homeless person for every £2.99 tub of sauce Lakhani sells. Since the business launched, about 50,000 tubs have been sold and Lakhani has had to expand out of Mumbai and into south east India. "If we get another retailer listing, I'll be able to open a hospital in two years," she says.

Five trustees sit on the board of her charity, which is in the process of being registered. Among them is Steven Esom, former Waitrose MD and director of food at Marks & Spencer, whose retail experience and industry insight she calls "invaluable".

Such guidance has enabled her to approach retailer-buyer negotiations forearmed with conviction. "To date, all promotions and placements have been mutually decided," she says. "I keep in touch with buyers regularly and seek their advice and expertise on merchandising. After all, I'm new to this and we have a mutual goal."

That goal is to extend the reach of the brand. NPD is in the pipeline, while profile-enhancing activities such as a glowstick-waving fun run in Hyde Park this month and a Guinness world record attempt in December to build the tallest chapati tower should ensure plenty more hot meals find their way to India's homeless.