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Michael Price, founder of Prices Spices

Michael Price founded his spicy food business Prices Spices in 2012 after he grew too many chillies to know what to do with.

He established a kitchen in Budbrooke at Church Farm and has built his business from there. Michael spoke to us as part of the #Warksmas2021 campaign.

Who are you and what is the name of your company?

I’m Michael Price, and I’m the director of Prices Spices.

What does your company do and what products do you sell?

We create and sell all sorts of deliciously spicy products such as chilli jam, chutney, pickles, hot sauce, chocolate and seasonings.

When were you established and how did the idea come about?

The business started in 2012 when I grew too many chillies! Three years after starting the business I gave up my full time job as a developer at Aston Martin Lagonda to focus on growing Prices Spices.

How long have you been trading here and what makes this area special?

Since its conception and starting out in 2012 we have been selling in the area and attending food and drink festivals. The amazing food scene across Warwick and Leamington is what makes it special for us.

What are the reasons customers are attracted to you and keep coming back?

I think it’s our attention to detail, and the consistency of our great products time after time. It’s bagged us quite a few food awards!

What is your most popular product/service you sell and why?

Currently it’s split between our unique ‘India Joywala Chutney’ and our ‘Reclus Red Chilli Jam’, both of which have won multiple Great Taste Awards.

What new stock/service are you particularly excited about and why?

We are in the midst of setting up a secondary business specialising in charcuterie. Not only is charcuterie lacking in the area, but we also managed to win the Guild of Fine Food Golden Fork Award for Best Charcuterie Product of 2021. We will be pushing out more Italian style Coppa, French Saucisson Sec and Spanish style Chorizo among many more delicious cured meats.

How has your business recovered since pandemic restrictions were lifted?

Has it? Restrictions may be currently lifted but we’re by no means out of the pandemic, I’d say we’re still in a pandemic of the business sort. This is why the Christmas period will be very important to us.

If you could pick one item from your shop to gift to somebody this Christmas, what would it be and why?

A jar of Reclus Red Chilli Jam, it’s not overly spicy and goes with just about everything. It showcases what Prices Spices is all about in one simple little tasting.

Why is it important for people to shop local?

The local economy is like the food chain, you only need to take one or more parts out of the chain and it all collapses. Without small businesses, we would all buying the same things all over the country which would be a great shame.

What does Christmas mean to you and how will you celebrate it this year?

It will be nice to celebrate with family that we couldn’t last year (fingers crossed). Not only does it mean a few days off work which is a rarity, it also means it’s a good time to see the people that really matter and enjoy ourselves.

In 2022, what one thing will your business be looking to implement to reduce your carbon footprint?

Having run a commercial chilli farm for 4 years which was off-grid using either gravity fed watering systems or solar powered drip irrigation, I would like to think that Prices Spices is ahead of most when it comes to offsetting of carbon.

Everything we put in place is forward thinking, we don’t have heating, our unit is completely insulated for regulation of heat and instead of running a walk-in refrigerator, we have implemented an air conditioning system that does the same job using less power.

Published: 7th December 2021

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