Childhood friends Jacob Denmark-Fyfe and Matthew Sanghera grew up in Eynsham whilst dreaming of opening their own place. Chatting to us in the new Ginger & Spice unit in Oxford’s Covered Market while preparing to open later this month, the duo are raring to go and bring Oxford their unique culinary offering.
Having refined their modern Punjabi food in a mobile food van for the past 18 months, Ginger & Spice is now ready to wow Oxford with their home-made, sustainable, seasonal, fresh, Indian offering.
“Everything at Ginger & Spice is made from scratch, from the ginger paste to the mint yoghurt,” Matthew says proudly. “We use proper traditional methods, and slow cook our meat to give it a real flavour and depth, rendering the spices, but adding our own creative flair to our dishes. We have been experimenting a lot and are really happy with our initial menu. It’s really unique.”
Matthew grew up in a Punjabi influenced household where his mother and grandmother taught him how to cook. His friend Jacob was a gardener. So when Jacob suggested they buy a horsebox. convert it and start their own food business selling modern Indian food with a twist, Matthew jumped at the chance, both jacking in their jobs to pursue their dreams.
“We wanted to do something different, because the Indian food we came across wasn’t genuine, fresh or authentic. It wasn’t what I ate with my family at home,” Matthew says.
Jacob adds: “And as I’d been working on an organic vegetable smallholding we wanted to put both of our skillsets together. So Ginger & Spice is a reflection of both of us,” he says pointing to his red hair, “and people really like our food. They thought it would be traditional Indian, but instead said it was something they hadn’t tried before.
Having honed their craft at their mobile Ginger & Spice horsebox around Oxfordshire, the 22 year-olds were then determined to expand their reach, and applied to take on their own unit at Oxford’s Covered Market, delighted when their application was accepted.
“People might think we are too young, but we have a lot of energy and passion to put into our new venture and we’ve already got a lot of experience under our belts, so we don’t see why age should come into it,” they say. “We see it as an advantage and we are willing to take the risks. Being young and keen is a bonus.”
So when Ginger & Spice finally opens it doors later this month, you can expect a smoky lamb and black cardamon curry, slow cooked chickpeas in a silky cashew cream, a chicken curry on the bone with green cardamom, fenugreek, home-made cashew cream and lime juice, a paneer with peas in coconut milk, curry leaves and crackled mustard seeds or a samosa chaat with a green herb sauce, fresh pomegranate, tamarind and crispy chickpea noodles.
“Our dishes has lots of layers, but the ingredients are ethically sourced so for example our ginger comes from Tanzania and the rice is really high quality,” Matthew says.
And with prices coming in at around £8-£12 with rice per portion and drinks from fresh mango lassis, a house blend chai made with 12 spices and raw sugar cane, and other ethically sourced offerings, you can see the attraction!
With plans to open imminently, Jacob and Matthew couldn’t be more excited to finally open the doors to Ginger & Spice: “It’s been a busy few years but the time feels right. We are ready for it, and the Covered Market is a really exciting place to be right now. It’s regenerating and the perfect time to be joining the line-up of food offerings.
“So we are excited and nervous at the same time. But we are looking forward to watching people eating our food at the communal tables in The Covered Market or taking it back home, and think people will really enjoy it.
“Opening a new business is always a calculated risk, but Ginger & Spice will be in a central Oxford location, Matthew is a chef and we have run our own business, plus we work really well together and have a lot of drive, so we can’t wait to see what Oxford thinks.”
Ginger & Spice is at Unit 50, The Covered Market Oxford. Watch this space for a final opening date.
