05/12/25

Interview with Rupert Derham, Founder of Spice Dept

This week we caught up with Rupert Derham, The Founder of Spice Dept to find out about his love for spices and how Spice Dept came about.

What first sparked the idea of Spice Dept?

I used to live in Delhi and when I was there my own cooking never tasted better. I became bolder with my use of spices, and they quickly became the magic that elevated my meals. When I moved back to the UK, I struggled to make my food taste as good. I did some digging and realised that supermarket spices here are often 3-5 years old before you even buy them. They are stale, dull, and lifeless. Since then, I have been obsessed with finding a way to bring better spices to the UK.

How do you source your spices?

It’s shocking to me that you’re hardly ever told which country the spice you are buying is from, let alone when it was harvested. For us, this is what transparency is all about. We will always tell you when the spicewas harvested and exactly where it was grown. For example, our latest batch of Nutmeg was harvested in August 2025 by a group of farmers near a small village called Gomagoda, Sri Lanka, and will be available for purchase in December. We work with farm partners across India and Sri Lanka and ensure that our spices are grown in a sustainable way and using no pesticides. We also pay our farmers fairly, for example in Sri Lanka our cinnamon farmers are paid 40% above the market price.

How do you see Spice Dept evolving?

We’re very much at the start of our journey but things are moving fast, and we have exciting things in the pipeline. We will be growing our online business as well as moving into retail. We’re also expanding our spice range and adding a range of sensational blends. There are some exciting collaborations and partnerships to announce too, so watch this space!

Best piece of advice you have been given?

Make sure you’re the most stupid person in your team. Surround yourself with clever, talented people and trust them to do great things.

What would your ideal day in London be like?

I’m now a visitor to London having moved out to the country in 2021. We spent our last London years in and around Richmond and it's my favourite part of London. A long walk along the river and then into Richmond Park. Lots of stops of coffee and later in the day, pints. Perfection!

For more information click here.

Photography courtesy of Spice Dept

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Interview with Rupert Derham, Founder of Spice Dept

Nyla Sammons
2 hours ago
2 min read

This week we caught up with Rupert Derham, The Founder of Spice Dept to find out about his love for spices and how Spice Dept came about.

What first sparked the idea of Spice Dept?

I used to live in Delhi and when I was there my own cooking never tasted better. I became bolder with my use of spices, and they quickly became the magic that elevated my meals. When I moved back to the UK, I struggled to make my food taste as good. I did some digging and realised that supermarket spices here are often 3-5 years old before you even buy them. They are stale, dull, and lifeless. Since then, I have been obsessed with finding a way to bring better spices to the UK.

How do you source your spices?

It’s shocking to me that you’re hardly ever told which country the spice you are buying is from, let alone when it was harvested. For us, this is what transparency is all about. We will always tell you when the spicewas harvested and exactly where it was grown. For example, our latest batch of Nutmeg was harvested in August 2025 by a group of farmers near a small village called Gomagoda, Sri Lanka, and will be available for purchase in December. We work with farm partners across India and Sri Lanka and ensure that our spices are grown in a sustainable way and using no pesticides. We also pay our farmers fairly, for example in Sri Lanka our cinnamon farmers are paid 40% above the market price.

How do you see Spice Dept evolving?

We’re very much at the start of our journey but things are moving fast, and we have exciting things in the pipeline. We will be growing our online business as well as moving into retail. We’re also expanding our spice range and adding a range of sensational blends. There are some exciting collaborations and partnerships to announce too, so watch this space!

Best piece of advice you have been given?

Make sure you’re the most stupid person in your team. Surround yourself with clever, talented people and trust them to do great things.

What would your ideal day in London be like?

I’m now a visitor to London having moved out to the country in 2021. We spent our last London years in and around Richmond and it's my favourite part of London. A long walk along the river and then into Richmond Park. Lots of stops of coffee and later in the day, pints. Perfection!

For more information click here.

Photography courtesy of Spice Dept