Starly's is hot stuff

7:40pm Friday 18th July 2008

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IF EVER two people deserved to succeed in life it’s Steven Higginson and Carly Jones, the hard-working twosome behind Orton-based Starly’s Spice Co.

I’ve been a great fan of theirs since meeting them for the first time at Ulverston’s Dickensian festival last Christmas and then featuring the pair at the beginning of the year in Food & Drink.

You can imagine my delight, therefore, when on recent travels north of the border, I came across their easy-to-use Indian spice blends in Keith Deli in the heart of the Moray countryside.

Talk about spreading the word! Six months ago Starly’s spices was a very young company selling in just short of 30 shops, mainly across Cumbria and Lancashire. Today, more than 200 outlets throughout the UK stock the easy-to-use range which includes Rogan Josh and Bombay Potatoes and new blends Pepper Chicken, Biryani and Balti.

Other developments include a vibrant redesign to feature the recipe suggestion more conveniently on the rear of the packet – which also helps the retailer with link sales - and a tweak of Starly’s symbolic trees (two instead of one) on the front.

The couple have travelled the length and breadth of the region introducing people personally to their products – and their dedication has paid off.

In Pickering, North Yorkshire, for example, the owner of The Ginger Pig deli was so impressed he now has Starly’s Spices in his three London shops too.

Steven and Carly are also joining forces with Gerald Fowler - of the-world’s-hottest-chilli fame (he lives at Cark) - to develop a new range of products and to take a starring role in the forthcoming Lakes Chilli Fest, at Levens Hall, on August 16 and 17.