Rotherham entrepreneur kickstarts African hot sauce business with UKSE funding

A Rotherham-based sauce manufacturer specialising in West African cuisine has expanded with a £500 Kickstart grant from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE).

Fula Flavour was established by entrepreneur Hawa Talbot in 2018 after friends and family complimented her homemade recipes. The investment will be used to launch a new range of hot sauces.

Based in Waverley, Rotherham, the business has since grown and gone from Hawa’s kitchen table to a local manufacturer as she saw an increase in demand.

She said: “Since launching the business it has been clear that there is demand for my products in South Yorkshire as there is currently nothing quite like them on the market.

“I am originally from Guinea in West Africa so, when I moved to England, I missed the sauces and flavours I was used to at home, so I used my families recipes which have been handed down over generations to help produce my latest line of new sauces.

“The take up of my products over the last year has been amazing and I now stock my products in shops in both Sheffield and Doncaster.

“Now that my new range has been launched, I hope I can expand my business and set up my own store which will help create jobs in the local area.”

Thanks to the funds from UKSE - an organisation tasked with supporting growing businesses in areas affected by changes to the steel industry - Hawa has now expanded her popular product line and produced the labels and associated marketing materials.

Alan Stanley, of UKSE, added: “It is great to see that we have helped a local business in Rotherham expand their product offering and to take their business to the next step.

“At UKSE, our aim is to support new and growing businesses with our Kickstart grants, and I am pleased to see the success it has brought Fula Flavour. I wish Hawa the best of luck in the future.”