How this Londoner turned her thrifty hot sauces into a sizzling business

A Londoner who was so broke one Christmas she made bottles of her father’s hot sauce to give to friends and family has now turned her produce in to a successful business.

Jugpreet “Baj” Sandhu, 36, was in a financial tight spot almost four years ago so made nine batches of her late father Davinder’s hot sauce, decanted it in to jars and attached festive labels.

Within hours of her gifts being opened on Christmas Day, friends and family were texting her saying how good the sauce was and asking for more.

The businesswoman, from Greenwich, told the Standard: “I had no money so I thought it was a cheap and unusual gift. The feedback was really amazing. I had loads of texts saying how great the sauce was and how they wanted more. I sat down with my sister that night and we decided there and then to make it a commercial thing.”

For the past four years, Ms Sandhu — who works in management for Transport For London during the week — has spent every Friday night preparing ingredients for her three “Baj’s Blazin’” hot sauces.

They are Dad’s Original Hot Sauce, Mum’s Mango — which is cooler and fruitier — and her BBQ-inspired condiment Smokin’ Sister, named after her sibling and business partner Jot. She then made the sauce in her kitchen all Saturday, selling them for £5 a bottle at Greenwich Market on Sundays.

Ms Sandhu is now looking to expand, and two months ago started working with a commercial kitchen so she could produce more sauces. She has launched a kickstarter to raise money for initial set-up costs and is looking to raise £5,000 by the end of the year.

She said: “Much as I love making my sauce I have no spare time. I am chopping garlic and chili all Friday night with my sister, cooking all day Saturday and selling all day Sunday. I really want to expand and maybe hire someone to sell at another market.”

Ms Sandhu said her father, who died 14 years ago, was a “legendary” cook and she spent many hours in the kitchen with him as a child. “People knew our house as the best place for food,” she said, adding that she thought her father “would be proud and pleased his recipe was such a success”.