A MUM-OF-THREE behind an authentic spice mix has tasted success at a national awards ceremony.
Melanie Auld won the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Scotland and Northern Ireland prize at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
The Gullane businesswoman set up Spice Pots in 2014 as she was looking for a shortcut to produce the healthy and authentic curries she had learnt to cook while living in India.
Since then, the business, which is based on The Sands, Haddington, has enjoyed great success.
Products have been sold in Aldi and the WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined) shop, and Melanie was delighted to see her products thrive.
She said: “It is always very, very nice to get some external validation and recognition.
“It can be quite lonely being a business owner and not without its internal challenges.
“It is always extremely nice to get that recognition from the business community.”
Melanie previously organised high-profile events in London and Glasgow, and lived in Chennai in India for nearly a year, celebrating her 19th birthday there.
On returning to Scotland, she found a way to batch-blend her spice combinations and recreate her favourite curry recipes.
Korma, tandoori masala, bhuna, Goan and sweet spice mixes have been created and enjoyed rave reviews.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards were launched in 2012 to celebrate the best of British enterprise, inviting founders from across the UK to apply with their entrepreneurial success stories.
This year, having had to hold the awards virtually in 2020, the organisers brought together all eight of their regional shortlists for the first time, with a guest list of 1,200 entrepreneurs, judges, mentors, investors and partners at the London celebration.
The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts and leaders of influential UK businesses, including some previous prize winners.
The judging panel said: “This is an excellent idea and all credit goes to Melanie for driving it forward into the success it now is.
“We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing where she goes next!”
Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, spoke highly of the entrepreneurial talent coming out of this year’s cohort.
She said: “It was fantastic to hear so many inspiring business stories after a difficult few years, and even better to have been able to invite all of our finalists to the in-person ceremony and celebrate together.
“With more than 1,200 attending, the evening was a real snapshot of the UK economy. The winners were thoroughly deserving, overcoming some stiff competition from their fellow finalists, and we look forward to welcoming them into our alumni community and seeing what they do next.”
“It’s always exciting to watch our previous winners go on to achieve amazing things and I don’t expect any less from this year’s award recipients, who we will support all the way.”
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