At 76, Shashi Aggarwal Takes Her Family’s Spice Kitchen Story to Dragons’ Den

There is something especially heart-warming about a family business built around food, heritage and conversations at the kitchen table. 

Now, the mother-and-son team behind Spice Kitchen are preparing to share their remarkable story with millions of television viewers.

Shashi Aggarwal and her son, Sanjay, will appear together on an upcoming episode of BBC One’s Dragons’ Den, where they'll pitch their family business to the famous investors.

At 76, Shashi is believed to be among the oldest entrepreneurs ever to enter the Den. Her appearance offers a wonderfully positive reminder that there's absolutely no age limit on ambition, creativity or the willingness to try something new and exciting.

Spice Kitchen began as a small family venture inspired by Shashi’s Indian heritage, her phenomenal knowledge of spices and her lifelong love of sharing food with others. 

What started with conversations around the kitchen table has since grown into an internationally recognised and award-winning brand.

Despite that success, the business has remained firmly rooted in the values that inspired it: celebrating culture, bringing people together and sharing meaningful experiences through food.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have had the opportunity to face this together,” Shashi told That's Food and Drink. 

“Whatever happens, it was a very special experience for our family and one we’ll always treasure.”

For Sanjay, stepping into the Den beside his mother was an emotional moment.

“Standing as the lift doors opened alongside my mum is something I’ll never forget,” he said. “Spice Kitchen has always been about Mum, her knowledge and her phenomenal spice cookery.”

He added his mother had always demonstrated that it is never too late to learn, attempt something different or take a leap of faith.

That message is perhaps every bit as important as the investment they hope to secure. Shashi’s journey challenges the idea that entrepreneurship belongs primarily to younger generations. At 76, she is showing that a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion can provide incredibly strong foundations for a successful business.

The pair’s appearance also promises to bring something particularly special to the programme: not simply a business pitch, but the story of a mother and son who have transformed their shared love of spices, recipes and family traditions into a flourishing enterprise.

Whatever verdict awaits them in the Den, Shashi and Sanjay have already created something worth celebrating.

Their episode of Dragons’ Den is scheduled to air on BBC One at 8pm on 20 August and will subsequently be available through BBC iPlayer.

To learn more about Spice Kitchen or to place orders please visit spicekitchenuk.com

Hizero to Unveil a New Vision for Hard-Surface Hygiene at IFA 2026

Keeping kitchen and dining floors hygienically clean can be a time-consuming task, particularly in busy family homes, cafés, restaurants and other food-related environments. Hizero believes technology can make that work considerably easier.

The company, known for its distinctive zero-suction hard-surface cleaning technology, has announced that it will unveil the most significant development in its history at IFA 2026 in Berlin.

Although full details are being kept under wraps, Hizero says the launch will involve far more than the introduction of a few new cleaning products. Instead, the company plans to present a broader vision for the future of hard-surface hygiene in both domestic and professional settings.

This could be particularly relevant to kitchens and hospitality businesses, where crumbs, liquids, grease and other food debris must be removed quickly and effectively. 

Maintaining clean floors and other hard surfaces is not simply about appearance; it can also help businesses create a more welcoming environment and reduce potential hygiene and safety risks.

Hizero argues that the cleaning industry has spent decades making incremental improvements to familiar equipment. It believes the next stage will involve reconsidering the entire relationship between people, technology and cleaning.

“We believe people are ready for a new conversation,” Sam Li, CEO and founder of Hizero told That's Food and Drink.

“For generations, cleaning has been treated as an unavoidable household chore. We believe there is an opportunity to rethink that assumption and explore how technology can help people spend less time maintaining their environments and more time enjoying them.”

Visitors to IFA 2026 can expect new products across several market segments, alongside a hard-surface hygiene strategy extending beyond conventional floorcare.

Hizero will also share insights into how consumers think about cleaning, time and wellbeing. The company believes that homes and workplaces will undergo a significant change in the way they are maintained during the next decade.

The new portfolio has been designed to make Hizero’s technology accessible to a broader market while supporting the company’s longer-term ambitions.

Hizero will reveal its new product range at IFA Berlin from 4–8 September 2026. Visitors can find the company at booth 10.1131 in Hall 10.1 at Messe Berlin.

The company will also participate in the ShowStoppers global media showcase on 3 September, where technology businesses will meet journalists and industry influencers.

For anyone responsible for keeping a busy kitchen, dining area or hospitality venue clean, Hizero’s forthcoming announcement could offer an interesting glimpse into the future of practical surface hygiene.

https://www.hizero.com

You can also buy Hizero products via our own Amazon-powered online shop https://link.amazon/B03uSGWma

Shandy Census Reveals UK's Biggest Shandy-Loving Cities

Data from Shandy Shack, which has analysed its sales figures since launching in 2018, reveals where the nation's shandy fans are, with cities across the UK embracing a fresh take on the classic serve.

The results are showing that shandy isn't just a Southern secret, with Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool loving the modern twist on this iconic combination.

This shandy revival also reflects a wider cultural shift towards “newstalgia” where consumers are rediscovering much-loved classics from the past, but with a modern twist. 

From retro flavours and heritage brands to reimagined pub favourites, people are increasingly drawn to products that offer a sense of familiarity and nostalgia while still fitting the way they live and drink today.

The UK's top 10 shandy-loving cities according to Shandy Shack sales data are:

 London

 Bristol

 Reading

 Manchester

 Oxford

 Southampton

Birmingham

Cheltenham

Liverpool

Salisbury

As consumers increasingly look for drinks that offer flavour, quality and the ability to enjoy longer occasions, Shandy Shack believes shandy is perfectly placed for this new era of drinking.

This August Bank Holiday, the craft shandy brand is inviting Brits to put old perceptions aside and rediscover shandy, a drink that has been overlooked for years but is ready for a new generation.

Founded by Tom Stevens, Shandy Shack was created to challenge outdated assumptions about shandy and prove that it is anything but a compromise.

Tom Stevens, founder of Shandy Shack, told That's Food and Drink: “Shandy was never the problem. It's always been a cracking drink, it just got stuck in the past while everything around it moved on. Beer got cooler, craft exploded, cocktails had their moment, and shandy was left behind with this reputation of being something your dad or grandma drank.

“The funny thing is, people often make their minds up about shandy before they've even tried it. They assume it's a watered-down beer or a compromise. Then they taste ours and the reaction is almost always the same: 'Hang on, that's actually really good.'

“At the same time, the way people drink is changing. More and more people want flavour and quality, but they don't necessarily want something that's going to knock them sideways after a couple. Whether you're watching the football, spending all day at a festival, firing up the BBQ or sat in a pub garden with your mates, people want a drink they can enjoy throughout the whole occasion – and that's exactly where shandy comes into its own.”

With sales momentum building and consumers continuing to embrace drinks that balance flavour with sessionability, Shandy Shack is inviting Brits this August Bank Holiday to challenge their assumptions, try shandy again and discover why this much-loved British classic is ready for a revival.

Shandy Shack has had its 3 biggest ever sales days in the last three months, and Google Trends notes that searches for 'shandy' in the last 3 months are up 150% versus the previous 3 months, and 'how to make shandy' is up a whopping 5000% over the same period.

https://www.shandyshack.co.uk

Wee Smoky Brings a Hint of Smoke to Six Classic Cocktails

Smoky whisky might not be everyone’s first choice of drink, but Wee Smoky founder Rory Gammell believes the right cocktail can change people’s minds.

After six years of introducing consumers around the world to Wee Smoky, a smoky Scotch whisky created specifically for mixing, Rory noticed something interesting. 

Many people who claimed not to like whisky thoroughly enjoyed it when it was served in a well-balanced cocktail.

That discovery has inspired Wee Smoky’s new range of premium ready-to-drink cocktails, presented in convenient 100ml cans.

Working with liquid development partner Jack Sotti, a former World Class Bartender of the Year, the company has added its distinctive hint of smoke to six familiar cocktails.

Four have been created particularly with non-whisky drinkers in mind: Margarita, Salted Caramel, Espresso Martini and the wonderfully named Grape-fruit-arita, Wee Smoky’s interpretation of a Paloma. Whisky enthusiasts are catered for with an Old Fashioned and Manhattan.

According to the company, early consumer testing has produced encouraging results, with many participants who believed whisky was not for them saying that they would happily order the cocktails in a bar.

“Smoke has traditionally been seen as intense. Whisky has traditionally been seen as intimidating. We believe both deserve a wider audience,” Rory told That's Food and Drink.

The range aims to provide a bar-quality drinking experience without requiring customers to buy numerous bottles, master complicated recipes or develop professional cocktail-making skills.

Founded in 2020, Wee Smoky began with a single-grain Scotch whisky made for mixing. Its original bottled whisky secured international attention and listings in markets including Australia, France, China, the United States, Hong Kong and South Korea.

The new canned cocktails represent the next stage of that journey. Their compact format makes them suitable for drinking at home, as well as for hotels, airlines, travel retail, hospitality, gifting and premium convenience outlets.

Specialist spirits wholesaler Select Drams has already agreed to distribute the range, while discussions are taking place with potential partners in North America and Australia. Wee Smoky has also registered trademarks in over 40 countries.

The ready-to-drink cocktail market continues to grow as consumers look for greater convenience and more adventurous flavour combinations. Smoky flavours are also gaining attention beyond Scotch, particularly through the popularity of tequila and mezcal.

All six Wee Smoky cocktails are available to UK customers through www.weesmoky.com.

For trade nquiries, contact hey@weesmoky.com.

That's Business: Clean Plates, Clean Reputation: Why Hygiene Matter...

That's Business: Clean Plates, Clean Reputation: Why Hygiene Matter...: There are some things a customer simply does not want to see when eating in a café, pub or restaurant. My wife and I recently witnessed a pa...

Alcohol-Free Shouldn’t Mean Flavour-Free: Why Every Hospitality Venue Needs a Decent Zero-Alcohol Beer

There was a time when asking for an alcohol-free beer in a pub could result in a rather apologetic bottle being retrieved from the back of a fridge, possibly somewhere behind the tomato juice.

Thankfully, things have changed.

Today there are some genuinely excellent alcohol-free and low-alcohol ciders, beers and lagers available. And that means pubs, hotels, restaurants, café bars and lounges really have no excuse for treating customers who aren't drinking alcohol as an afterthought.

People choose alcohol-free drinks for all sorts of reasons

The person ordering an alcohol-free beer isn't necessarily someone who has given up drinking permanently.

They might be driving. They might be working later. They could be taking medication, training for a sporting event, watching their alcohol intake or simply fancying an evening without alcohol.

Someone might even drink a couple of ordinary beers before deciding to switch to alcohol-free for the remainder of the evening.

The important point for hospitality businesses is simple: these people are still customers.

And they deserve something more interesting than being told: "We've got orange juice, cola or lemonade. Or some Barbican?"

The quality has improved enormously

Modern alcohol-free brewing has moved a very long way from some of the rather disappointing products available years ago.

There are now alcohol-free beers offering proper malt character, bitterness, hops, body and aroma. Major brewers and smaller craft producers alike have realised that people don't merely want a drink that contains little or no alcohol,  they want something that actually tastes like a good beer.

Products such as Guinness 0.0 and Clear Head IPA have demonstrated just how seriously major drinks companies now take this market, while an increasingly impressive selection of alcohol-free lagers, pale ales, IPAs and other styles gives hospitality businesses plenty of choice.

So why do some establishments still offer just one rather uninspiring alcohol-free lager?

Don't hide it at the bottom of the fridge

If you stock good alcohol-free beer, tell people about it.

Put it on the drinks menu. Display it alongside your regular beers. If you have several varieties, consider giving alcohol-free drinks their own small section on the menu.

Staff should also know what is available.

If somebody asks for an alcohol-free beer, hearing "I'm not sure, I'll have a look in the fridge" doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Being able to say, "We've got an alcohol-free lager, Guinness 0.0 and a very nice alcohol-free IPA" is a completely different experience.

It makes commercial sense

There is another important point: alcohol-free customers still spend money.

If a designated driver is accompanying three friends to your pub, making sure that driver has an enjoyable choice of drinks could help keep the whole group in your establishment.

The same applies to couples dining out when one person isn't drinking, families visiting a hotel, business lunches and groups meeting in café bars and lounges.

Offer poor alcohol-free choices and customers may decide to go somewhere else next time.

Offer good ones and they have another reason to return.

And please serve alcohol-free beer properly. A quality alcohol-free lager deserves a clean, appropriate glass and should be served at the correct temperature – not handed over as though it is somehow an inferior purchase.

Choice is the key

Ideally, larger hospitality venues should consider stocking more than one alcohol-free beer.

A crisp lager and a more characterful ale, stout or IPA would immediately give customers a meaningful choice. Venues could even ask their customers which alcohol-free beers they'd like to see stocked.

The alcohol-free customer of 2026 doesn't necessarily want to sit in the corner nursing a glass of fizzy water.

They might want a cold lager with their curry, a stout with Sunday lunch or a hoppy IPA while chatting with friends at the bar.

Hospitality is supposed to be about making people feel welcome.

Stocking decent-tasting alcohol-free beer is a very simple way of doing exactly that.

That's Food and Drink says: If you're proud of the beers behind your bar, make sure you can also be proud of the alcohol-free ones.

When a Dirty Table Costs a Pub More Than One Meal

My wife and I recently visited a town some distance from home and, as it was lunchtime, decided we would find a pub for something to eat and a drink.

We spotted a large pub belonging to a major national chain and thought it would fit the bill perfectly.

Unfortunately, we didn't stay long enough to order anything.

The pub was enormous, with what we estimated to be around 100 tables. Yet virtually every table we could see was covered with the debris left by previous customers. There were dirty glasses, used cups and crockery everywhere, while many of the tables themselves were smeared with food or sticky from spilt drinks.

It wasn't simply a case of arriving just after one particularly large party had left. The scale of the problem suggested tables simply weren't being cleared.

What made the situation even more surprising was that members of staff appeared to be standing around chatting rather than tackling what was an extremely obvious problem.

We weren't the only people put off. During the short time we were there, we noticed other prospective customers walking in, looking around and promptly walking straight back out again.

We did exactly the same and spent our money elsewhere.

How Much Business Was Walking Out of the Door?

This is where pub owners and operators need to look beyond cleanliness as merely a housekeeping issue.

It's a sales issue.

Imagine that ten couples walk away during a lunchtime because there isn't a clean table available. If each couple might have spent £30 on food and drinks, that's £300 in lost sales.

If the situation persists for several hours, the potential loss becomes substantial, not to mention the damage caused when customers tell friends, leave poor reviews or simply decide never to return.

The frustrating thing is that this is an entirely preventable problem.

Managers Need to See What Customers See

Every pub should have somebody responsible for regularly walking through customer areas and viewing them from the perspective of somebody who has just entered.

Are there clean tables available?

Are glasses and plates being collected?

Are food spills being wiped immediately?

Are toilets being checked?

Is rubbish being removed?

If the answer to any of those questions is "no", somebody needs to deal with it.

Managers should also establish clear table-clearing responsibilities rather than assuming "somebody will do it". During busy periods, designated staff could continuously circulate through the pub collecting glasses, clearing plates and wiping tables.

A simple rule might be that an empty table should be cleared and cleaned within five minutes whenever staffing levels permit.

Staff Need Leadership

It is easy to blame individual employees, but if several members of staff are chatting while dozens of tables remain dirty, that can indicate a management problem.

Staff need clear expectations, proper training and managers who are visible on the floor.

Technology can help too. Modern till systems can provide managers with information about how busy the pub is, allowing them to anticipate peaks and make sure sufficient staff are available.

But ultimately, somebody needs to look around the room.

Clean Tables Are Part of the Product

Customers don't just buy beer, coffee, burgers or fish and chips when they visit a pub.

They're buying the whole experience.

A perfectly good meal served at a sticky table surrounded by somebody else's dirty glasses isn't a good experience.

And customers have plenty of alternatives.

We found one.

The pub we visited that lunchtime didn't simply lose the price of two meals and a couple of drinks. Judging by the number of other people turning around and leaving, it was potentially losing hundreds of pounds.

For pub owners and major chains, there's a very simple lesson here:

Before spending fortunes trying to attract more customers through the door, make sure the ones who have already walked through it can find somewhere clean to sit.

Have you ever walked straight back out of a pub, café or restaurant because it looked dirty or poorly managed? That's Food and Drink would be interested to hear about your experiences.

Why Your Local Church Could Be the Perfect Home for a Community Food Bank

Food banks have become an essential lifeline for many families across the UK. 

While we all hope for a future where nobody needs emergency food support, the reality is that thousands of people still find themselves struggling to put meals on the table because of unexpected bills, illness, job loss or rising living costs.

One of the best places to help meet that need could already be sitting right in the heart of your community, your local church.

Church buildings are often underused during the week, yet they usually have many of the facilities needed to run a successful community food bank. Many have kitchens for preparing refreshments, accessible halls where people can collect food with dignity, storage space for donated items and, perhaps most importantly, an army of willing volunteers who already care deeply about serving their neighbours.

A church-run food bank isn't simply about handing over tins of beans and packets of pasta. It can become a welcoming community hub where visitors are greeted with kindness, offered a cup of tea or coffee, and treated with respect rather than judgement. Sometimes a friendly conversation is just as valuable as the groceries someone takes home.

Partnerships can make the project even stronger. Local supermarkets, independent food retailers, schools, businesses, community groups and individuals are often happy to donate food or organise collection points. Volunteers can help sort donations, manage stock, prepare food parcels and assist visitors, creating a genuine community effort.

Many churches already support food banks through organisations such as the Trussell network or independent local schemes. However, there is still plenty of scope for more churches to become directly involved, particularly in areas where provision is limited or where demand is increasing.

Running a food bank also provides opportunities to offer wider support. Churches can work alongside debt advisers, employment services, mental health charities and other local organisations, helping people tackle the causes of hardship as well as its immediate effects.

If your church has never considered opening a food bank, perhaps now is the time to start the conversation. Gather together church leaders, local councillors, businesses and residents to explore what is possible. You may discover that the facilities, volunteers and goodwill already exist, you simply need someone to bring everything together.

Communities are often at their strongest when people work side by side. A church-operated food bank demonstrates practical compassion, builds lasting friendships and reminds everyone that nobody should have to face difficult times alone.

After all, sharing food has always brought people together. A community food bank is simply another way of extending that welcome to those who need it most.

Meet air up® – The Clever Way to Make Water More Exciting

Let's be honest here, we all know we should drink more water, but plain tap water isn't exactly the most exciting drink in the world. 

If you've ever found yourself reaching for a sugary soft drink or squash simply because you wanted a bit of flavour, then the innovative air up® system could be well worth a look.

Unlike traditional flavoured drinks, air up® doesn't actually add anything to the water itself. Instead, it uses a fascinating piece of science called retronasal olfaction. (Ed. What??)

In simple terms, most of what we think of as "taste" actually comes from our sense of smell. The specially designed scent pods release aromas as you drink, tricking your brain into perceiving flavour while you're actually drinking nothing more than plain water. It's an ingenious idea that has captured the imagination of millions of users around the world.

The system is straightforward. Fill the reusable bottle with ordinary tap water, pop on your chosen scent pod, and start drinking through the straw. As air passes through the pod, the natural aromas travel to your nose while you swallow, creating the sensation of flavoured water without adding sugar, sweeteners or calories to the drink itself.

One of the biggest attractions is the growing range of flavours. Fancy a refreshing Lemon? Perhaps Mango Peach, Cherry Kola, Bubblegum or even Virgin Mojito? With more than 25 different scent pods available, there's plenty of opportunity to find a favourite or mix things up from day to day. Each pod is designed to flavour around five litres of water, making them surprisingly long-lasting.

For anyone trying to cut back on fizzy drinks, fruit squash or sugary beverages, air up® offers an interesting alternative. Because you're still drinking plain water, you're hydrating without consuming added sugar or artificial colourings. Many people find that simply making water more enjoyable encourages them to drink more throughout the day.

Of course, the experience isn't identical to drinking a traditional flavoured drink. The flavour sensation is intentionally subtle, and some users report that certain pods are stronger than others. As with many food and drink products, personal preference plays a big part, with some people loving the concept while others prefer more conventional flavoured beverages.

Here at That's Food and Drink, we love seeing genuinely innovative ideas that encourage healthier habits without sacrificing enjoyment. Whether you're looking to drink more water at work, on your daily commute, at the gym or simply around the house, air up® is certainly one of the more intriguing products to appear on the drinks scene in recent years.

If you're curious, it could be one of those products that's worth trying for yourself, you may just discover that your favourite flavoured drink was plain water all along!

To learn more visit https://shop.air-up.com.

You can order the Air-Up bottles and pods, etc at our own shop, here https://link.amazon/B08z2fK6O

Wetherspoon's Craft Cider Festival is Back. Here's Why It's Worth a Visit

If you're looking for a good excuse to pop into your local Wetherspoon over the next few days, the return of the annual Wetherspoon Craft Cider Festival might be just the ticket.

Running until Sunday 9 August, the ten-day festival celebrates the incredible variety of British craft cider, giving customers the chance to sample drinks that many pubs simply don't stock during the rest of the year. 

This year's event features up to 15 different craft ciders from producers across the South West and beyond, with something to suit almost every taste.

Whether you're a traditional cider lover who enjoys a crisp, dry apple cider or someone who prefers sweeter fruit flavours, there's plenty to tempt you. Among the featured drinks are imaginative creations such as Hunts Mango & Passionfruit, Broadoak Lemon Haze, Farmer Jim's Prickly Pear, and Pulp Razzberry Rush, alongside classic apple ciders and refreshing perries. Alcohol strengths range from a session-friendly 3.4% ABV up to a more robust 7% ABV, allowing customers to choose something that suits their palate and the occasion.

One of the biggest attractions is the price. Festival pints are available from £2.99 to £3.49, making it an affordable way to discover new favourites without stretching the budget. In an era when the cost of a pint continues to rise in many pubs, that's welcome news for cider enthusiasts.

Wetherspoon has also made it easy to learn more about what's on offer. Detailed tasting notes and allergen information are available in participating pubs and through the Wetherspoon app, which also lets customers order drinks and food directly to their table without leaving their seat. It's a simple feature that makes relaxing with friends even easier.

Festivals like this are also a great reminder that cider is every bit as varied as beer or wine. Different apple varieties, fermentation techniques and flavourings produce an astonishing range of drinks, from bone-dry traditional ciders to fruity modern creations bursting with tropical or berry flavours.

If you enjoy supporting British producers or simply fancy trying something a little different, this festival is well worth exploring before it finishes. You may well discover a new favourite that you wouldn't otherwise have encountered.

And don't forget, Wetherspoon operates their Festival Three offer where you can try a third of a pint of three different ciders for the price of one pint, so you can try them without over doing it! 

So, if the weather behaves itself, why not find a sunny beer garden, order a tasting paddle over several visits—or simply enjoy a pint of something completely new? Cheers to another successful Wetherspoon Craft Cider Festival!

I switched over from my usual IPA to sample three ciders I'd never heard of and enjoyed them all!