Brief: Company that adds spice to life; Small Firm of the Week.Byline: By NEIL HODGSON Neil Hodgson (born November 20 1973 in Burnley, Lancashire) is a motorcycle racer who won the 2000 British Superbike championship and the 2003 Superbike World I STEPPED through a tiny door on a rainswept Brunswick business park and found myself in an exotic Indian bazaar. Or was it a bustling street market in Cairo? My senses were under assault as the pungent aroma of more than 200 spices ran riot through my brain. Tucked away on the riverside park, Seasoned Pioneers is rapidly establishing a reputation as the source of choice for fans of spicy foods, from gourmet glitterati glit·te·ra·ti pl.n. Informal Highly fashionable celebrities; the smart set: "private parties on Park Avenue and Central Park West, where the literati mingled with glitterati" to everyday enthusiasts. Their unique blends, some of which contain up to 15 different ingredients, have been hailed by celebrity chefs Nigella nigella (nī·jelˑ· Lawson, Antony Worrall Thompson Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson (born 1 May 1951) is a British celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster. Born in Stratford upon Avon, he went to school at The King's School, Canterbury. and Rick Stein. Founder Mark Steene said he was inspired to start his business by the dearth of decent spices and seasonings available here after returning from India. His former job with Liverpool specialist sugars company Billingtons gave him an insight into sourcing exotic foods from all over the world. Initially Mr Steene traded from his city centre flat supplying a handful of delicatessens. But in late 2000 Mr Steene's products came to the attention of supermarket giant Sainsbury's who snapped up 11 lines for their gourmet products. Today the firm supplies around 200 delis, exports to the US and Scandinavia and sells all over the world via mail order through its www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk website. The five-strong workforce is set to rise when the business moves to larger premises on Bromborough's Plantation Business Park at the end of February, revealed Mr Steene. "The move will open up more scale for us. In three years we should treble turnover from pounds 300,000 towards pounds 1m. The move will mean more jobs, too," said Mark. The byword by·word also by-word n. 1. a. A proverbial expression; a proverb. b. An often-used word or phrase. 2. is authenticity, he added: "Our Moroccan line is just as it would be in a Moroccan household. "There's an increasing awareness of authenticity of ingredients because of various food scares. People are also becoming more health conscious and they are interested in sampling new cuisines because of their travel experiences." Biography Name: Mark Steene Age: 38 Company name: Seasoned Pioneers Qualifications: Business and marketing degree Experience: Seven years with Liverpool specialist sugars company Billington How long in business: Six years Company finance: Bank loan against house CAPTION(S): IT WAS ALL YELLOW: Mark Steene, with a bowl of spice blended at his Brunswick business park premises |
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