Vernon Blackmore and Jamie Symons, Choose Spice

This two-man team have created a range of curry pastes inspired by the tastes of South East Asia.

The man in the kitchen – Vernon Blackmore – used to run a curry house in Woodbridge called The Spice Bar before becoming owner and chef at The Table.

But customers kept popping in asking if he could whip them up a takeaway. “From there I started to make the odd curry paste for people who missed the Spice Bar and so essentially, the business was borne out of local demand,” he said.

Vernon’s mum was the inspiration behind his distinctive flavours.

“She’s Chinese Malaysian and she is a passionate cook and professional chef and I picked that up from her,” he said. “Some of my curry pastes are based on my mum’s recipes.”

“Our product is unique because it is a paste,” said Vernon. “This means you can add as much or as little as you like to your dish and combine it with your own choice of fresh ingredients.”

Jamie Symons, Vernon’s business partner, added: “It also has an incredibly long life. It lasts for a year on the shelf unopened, and once opened, six weeks in the fridge or they can be frozen.

“Personally I like to use it in the slow cooker and make a beef and potato rendang. The beef just falls apart.”

Jamie says customer feedback has been the mark of a truly successful business venture which he hopes will continue to grow in 2019 and beyond.

So why do Choose Spice think they deserve to win the title of Producer of the Year?

“We are part of a local food community and this award is about nurturing community,” said Vernon. “We share distribution and kitchens with another local company and I order my ingredients from another local company.

“This business is working because of community and that is a wonderful thing.”