Sanjay Aggarwal’s now-booming business was based around a family heirloom: a 100-year-old spice mill. He started selling spice blends with his mother in 2012 almost by accident. “It wasn’t meant to be a business,” the 40-year-old admits. “It was only started as a retirement hobby for my mum. What started off as a silly little idea, so to speak, just grew. We started online and moved after a few years to selling in shops.” Spice Kitchen has been wildly successful, and now Aggarwal is adding another string his company’s bow by writing a cookbook. Above all the success, he’s really just appreciated spending time with his 72-year-old mother, Shashi. “She’s incredible – she’s a whirlwind. She was born in Kenya and raised in India, so she’s got a really eclectic mix of culture. And she’s a real spice expert – we’ve got a 100-year-old spice mill in our family that’s travelled the world and I’ve got it here now; we started the business using that.” Aggarwal says it felt “natural” to work with his mother, after helping his parents run their Birmingham shop when growing up. But he’s “learned loads” from her during their new venture. “It’s certainly made me realise how entrepreneurial my mum is, how creative she is… I’ve been really impressed by how similarly we think.” He says: “We’re certainly closer for it. It’s got the ups and downs and challenges that everything has, but we’re still talking!” While there are plenty of flavour-packed Indian dishes in the new cookbook – including coriander and tandoori fishcakes, chickpea curry and tarka dal – the recipes have a decidedly global outlook. Think fish tacos, jerk-inspired pork, crispy duck with pancakes – and Aggarwal credits this to growing up in the diverse city of Birmingham. “I was born and brought up there, so for me, that was all I knew. But for my mum, it was very much a big influence on her,” he explains. When she came to the UK as a young married woman, “her cuisine and culture was all very Indian” – something that soon changed. “My mum has really seen that development of food and culture, and that cosmopolitan nature of Birmingham. It’s had tidal waves of immigration – my mum being one of them from India – and from West Africa and Asia and all different places. She’s witnessed that, when she came to the UK.” Aggarwal recounts how in the early days of living in Birmingham, Shashi would grind her own spices – you couldn’t buy blends at the time – which “reminded her of home and made her less homesick”, but then her palate expanded. “She’s vegetarian, but got to try all these amazing different sorts of vegetarian food from all around the world, be it Middle Eastern, Chinese or Japanese or whatever. Some of those things weren’t accessible when she first came, but were as time went on – and my mum’s very experimental. “She’s a real foodie. She loves trying new things and experimenting – probably more than anyone else I know. I think she’s quite unique, because I think a lot of people from cultures where they’ve got a really strong food culture – certainly like Indian culture – a lot of my aunts and uncles, they don’t really eat or experiment outside of Indian food. They find it quite scary, not very flavoursome, or quite bland. But my mum really gets it – she’s got a really deep palate, and she can really appreciate different cultures.” This love of different cuisines means both mother and son are quite free with the way they cook– and they want other people to be the same. For example, if you’re making a frittata and you don’t have any Italian seasoning, Aggarwal says: “Try it with Mexican [spice blends], try it with jerk and you could still create something amazing. Don’t be afraid to experiment.” One of the more unusual combinations he’s tried? Mexican spices in a shepherd’s pie: “It actually tastes amazing in there. We’re just trying to get people to be a bit more free thinking and adventurous. What’s the worst that can happen?” Aggarwal says he’s often asked how to make an “authentic” dish – a question he struggles to answer. “It’s very difficult to understand what they mean by that – what is the meaning of authenticity? I’m a second-generation British-born person… Food has evolved over time. We wanted to make sure the dishes [in the cookbook] were authentic in terms of linking back to the original recipes and what they’re all about, and especially the blends being as authentic as possible – trying to respect the tradition. “But we’re also trying to say, we can only take our take on things. I can take my take on things and my mum can take her take on things – and things have changed over time.” That’s why Aggarwal advises against getting “too hung up on authenticity, because there is no way of achieving it”. Instead, he recommends taking a dish you like and “play with the flavours a little bit” to “make it your own”. ‘Spice Kitchen’ by Sanjay Aggarwal (Quadrille, £22).

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Cold, salty feta topped with tomatoes warmed in olive oil that has been studded with aromatics until they are bursting, gooey and have a heightened sweetness are the perfect topping for hunks of grilled bread,” says Ravinder Bhogal of this dish. “These tomatoes are also pretty perfect tossed together with pasta or gnocchi, which I just throw straight into the roasting tin before tossing and eating.” Whipped feta with confit tomatoes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 400g mixed cherry tomatoes 5 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised 3 thin strips of lemon peel ½ tsp caster sugar 1 tsp coriander seeds ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes 4 sprigs of oregano 60ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and black pepper For the whipped feta: 200g good-quality feta cheese Juice of ½ lemon 100g thick Greek yoghurt Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. 2. Cut some of the larger tomatoes in half and leave some whole and place in a roasting tin along with the garlic and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the caster sugar, coriander seeds, chilli flakes and oregano, then drizzle over the olive oil. 3. Bake for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are bursting and fragrant. Cool down slightly, then discard the garlic and lemon peel. 4. In the meantime, put the feta cheese into a food processor along with the lemon juice and whizz until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yoghurt. 5. Put the whipped feta in a serving bowl and top with the warm tomatoes. Serve with slices of toasted sourdough bread. Recipe from ‘Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen’ by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, £26). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring

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Taking inspiration from the Noughties, ‘officecore’ is all about embracing traditional workwear in a modern way. Big on TikTok, the nine-to-five trend focuses on relaxed tailoring and preppy pieces that look cool whether you work in an office or not. And with that ‘back to school’ feeling in the air, now is the perfect time to refresh your work wardrobe. Here are four officecore ideas to shop this season… 1. Beige tailoring After kicking logomania to the curb, the quiet luxury trend is going nowhere, and that means a pale palette from day to night. Swap your usual black blazer for a two-piece co-ord in a soft shade like beige, biscuit, oatmeal or caramel. Add gold hoop earrings and a tonal leather tote to complete your laidback luxe look. Topshop Brushed Blazer Coat in Oat, £69.70 (was £82); Mini Skirt in Oatmeal, £30.60 (was £36), ASOS (accessories, stylist’s own) Fanfare Ethically Made Beige Linen Suit Jacket, £189 2. Pleated trousers Slim-cut Noughties trousers aren’t part of the officecore agenda (you may be pleased to here). Pleated wide-leg styles are the must-have of the season – perfect for pairing with crisp cotton shirts now, and rollneck tops as the weather turns cooler. Choose from extra-long ‘puddle pants’ that reach the floor, or ankle-length hems to show off your footwear. Paisie Teal Pleated High Waist Trousers, £95; Dark Green Knitted Cut Out Sleeve Top, £78 (top available in October) Misirli 1951 Tie Belt Anthracite Metallic Pants, £164.57 (were £274.28) 3. Pinstripe pieces The heritage print – fine chalky lines on a dark background – has had a major comeback lately in the form of minimalist separates you can mix and match. Try a waistcoat and trousers co-ord or a pinstripe shirt teamed with a high-waisted skirt. Threadbare Women’s Charcoal Pinstripe Lined Fitted Tailored Waistcoat, £39; Women’s Charcoal Pinstripe Wide Leg Tailored Trousers, £43 (shoes, stylist’s own) Fig & Basil Long Sleeve Pinstripe Shirt, £32; PU Ruched Midi Skirt, £40; V by Very Wide Fit Block Heel Slouch Knee Boot With Wider Fitting Calf, £45, Very 4. Luxe loafers Nothing says ‘back to school’ style like a pair of shiny shoes, and this season’s chunky metallic loafers are the ultimate statement footwear. Inspired by brands like Prada and Bally, next-level loafers in gold, silver and bronze shades are a key officecore piece. Oliver Bonas Crackled Copper Leather Loafer Shoes, £89.50 River Island Silver Chain Detail Loafers, £25 Dune London Gradual Loafers in Silver, £110, Debenhams