Spice blends, seasonings & hot sauces
16 products4 brandsfrom £1.90
Spice blends, hot sauces and seasonings from small makers, with flavoured salt, saffron, mezze kits and mulling spices for winter.Spice blends, hot sauces and seasonings from small makers, with flavoured salt, saffron, mezze kits and mulling spices for winter. A spice gift set makes an easy present for keen cooks, and a hot sauce trio lets you find your heat level.
16 products4 brandsfrom £1.90
Raju Sauces
Sauce Trio Box
Creative Nature
BBQ Salt Blend
More in The Pantry
Choosing spice blends
Spice blends save you buying a cupboard of single spices and give a balanced flavour straight from the jar. A basic spice rack covers a lot, so a blend earns its place on freshness, flavour and how often you will reach for it. Look for whole spices or recently ground blends, no fillers or anti-caking agents, and a clear use on the label. Oh Lily Snacks makes spice mixes such as turmeric and black pepper, and paprika and Provençal herbs, plus an Oh Spicy! bundle. Every jar here met our standard on ingredients and transparency.
Hot sauce from small makers
Hot sauce adds heat and flavour, and good sauces balance chilli with fruit, acid and spice. Raju Sauces makes mango and scotch bonnet, pickled lime and birdseye chilli, and smoky BBQ tamarind sauces, plus a trio sauce box. Loving Foods makes an organic fermented hot sauce. Start with a few drops, as heat varies a lot between sauces. Keep opened bottles in the fridge and shake before use.
Flavoured salt and seasonings
Flavoured salt is an easy way to season at the table. Creative Nature makes pink Himalayan crystal salt and a BBQ salt blend, and BristolMade makes sage salt. Seasonings for chicken, fish and roast vegetables work best rubbed on before cooking. Camellios makes premium Afghan saffron for rice and baking. A pinch of saffron soaked in warm water for ten minutes gives a deeper colour and flavour in paella, risotto and buns. Whole spices such as cumin and coriander seeds taste brighter if you toast them in a dry pan first.
Spice gift set and festive kits
A spice gift set suits keen cooks and makes a good Christmas present. So Just Shop makes a Middle Eastern mezze feasting kit, mulling spices for mulled wine and a mulling spice gift set, and Catalyse Life Drinks makes botanical garnish sets for drinks. Store spices away from heat and light, and replace ground spices after about a year. Vegan Spices lists the vegan range, Fermented Foods has kimchi and kraut, Gift Hampers & Boxes has food hampers, and Food & Drink Gifts has more presents.
Common questions
How long do spice blends last?
Ground spices and blends keep their best flavour for about a year, whole spices for longer. Store them in a cool, dark cupboard.
How do you use flavoured salt?
Sprinkle it over finished dishes, roast vegetables or eggs, or use it in a rub before cooking. A little goes a long way.
Which hot sauce is mildest?
Fruit-based sauces, such as mango, tend to taste milder than vinegar-based chilli sauces. Start with a few drops and build up.
What is in a mulling spice mix?
Mulling spices usually include cinnamon, cloves, star anise, allspice and orange peel. Warm them gently with wine or cider.