Mandira's Kitchen received Rural Surrey LEADER grants for professional catering equipment, a delivery van to grow a food production catering business and outdoor events.
Mandira's Kitchen (originally Surrey Spice) was started in January 2016 in the applicant's home kitchen with a budget of £750. With a focus on authentic, good quality Indian food, it began life as a supper club and within six months was a runner up at the Surrey Life Food and Drink Awards for Innovation.
It expanded in the first year to offer a range of freezer meals and by the end of 2016 six local farm shops began stocking these meals. To cope with demand, the applicant built a bespoke kitchen in the garden in 2017 and Mandira's Kitchen meals are now stocked in 24 farm shops and outlets. It also offers cookery lessons and does catering for events.
The success and expansion of the business has led to the need to move to larger premises and so the renovated barn at Sherborne Farm was leased. A Rural Surrey LEADER grant was awarded to fit out this traditional farm building with professional catering equipment in order to create a food production unit and cookery school for the artisan food.
As the business continued to grow, a second Rural Surrey LEADER grant was awarded for a freezer delivery van, conversion of a horsebox into a catering trailer to expand outdoor events they can attend and a tray sealing machine.
Project costs, grant awarded, and job created
Professional kitchen to create food production unit, freezer delivery van, outdoor catering trailer and a tray sealer:
Total project cost £111,966
Grant awarded: £44,787
Jobs created: 3.75 FTEs
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