I’m Grace Regan and the decision to start SpiceBox came about as a result of a number of different changes that were happening in my life.
After moving to Silicon Valley, I gradually became disillusioned with the tech world and the business I was working on. I didn’t feel that I was solving a serious problem and wanted to do something that aligned closer with my values and passions.
Around the same time I became vegan and, as a result, more engaged with the benefits of a plant-based diet – from a health, ethical and environmental viewpoint. Veganism was taking off massively in California and I knew the same would happen in London – this presented an exciting business opportunity too.
Prior to moving to the US, I had been sitting on the idea of a fresh, modern spin on the British curry house. My great aunt is Indian and, as a result I had grown up eating home-cooked Indian food and travelling to India. I always wondered why it was so hard to find a curry house that served up dishes that tasted as fresh and vibrant as the food my auntie cooked and that I ate whilst in India. I thought it would be cool to have a curry house that paid homage to both British-Indian curry house classics and also the fresh flavours you find in Indian home-cooking.
After I became vegan, I realised that Indian food was the perfect introduction to a plant-based diet as spices make vegetables taste amazing and so I put everything together and came up with SpiceBox. I knew it was now or never so I booked flights back to London and dived straight in.
Do You Have Menu’s For Customers With Allergies?
Everything apart from the breads can be made gluten free and we can cater for people with nut allergies.
Where Is The Produce Sourced From – Local Suppliers?
Yes, we try to work with local suppliers wherever possible – the oat milk we use is made down the road from us, our veg supplier is our next-door neighbour and our naans are made close-by too! We try to source organic ingredients where possible – it’s our current target to make 50% of the plate organic so our breads and rice are 100% organic, as is our oat milk and soya mince.
The Spicebox Is It A Take-Away Or Restaurant?
Right now we’re doing takeaways and delivery via our website. We hope to re-open the curry house for dine in asap!
Do You Use Recyclable Packaging For Your Take- Aways?
Yes, all of our TA packaging is recyclable. We also have a reusable takeaway tiffin scheme – the SpiceBox tiffin club!
About The Author
Grace Regan is the founder of SpiceBox. In January 2019 SpiceBox opens it’s first curry house in Walthamstow E17 and in June 2019 SpiceBox wins Best Takeaway in East London – London Curry Awards & Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant in North London UK.