BANG! Curry, the Brick Lane-inspired meal kits that has taken the UK by storm, is launching in Waitrose stores nationwide – the first major retailer listing for the brand.
With the first online sale in 2019, award-winning BANG! Curry has sold over 750,000 kits in the first five years, is rated 4.7 out of five stars on TrustPilot and is established as the best-selling curry kit on Amazon. The brand has gained millions of likes and views on social media, with one TikTok video achieving 1.1million views alone.
Launching in 278 Waitrose stores on Monday 22nd July, BANG! Curry is the brainchild of co-Founder Shelly Nuruzzaman, who grew up in Brick Lane, London, in the heart of the Bangladeshi community. Previously a scientist, with a PhD from Imperial College London, Shelly swapped the laboratory for her kitchen, where she perfected the formulas for her BANG! Curry kits.
Four products will be available in Waitrose stores – two of which are brand new and exclusive to the retailer. The new Samosa kit, crispy treats stuffed with spicy goodness and oozing with flavour, and the new Pakora kit, irresistible snacks packed full of vibrant spices, will join the Dahl kit, a hearty authentic classic dish, and the Bhaji kit, inspired by flavours from the streets of Dhaka, Bangladeshi’s capital.
Shelly Nuruzzaman, co-Founder of BANG! Curry, says: “This launch is a huge milestone for our business. From day one, I had the ambition to be listed in a store like Waitrose and here we are.
“Cooking with spices is complicated; there are so many different combinations and just the smallest tweak can result in a completely different flavour. I wanted to give consumers the ability to create fresh, delicious curry dishes at home, from scratch, but in a way that is straightforward and convenient.”
Containing 100% natural ingredients, each kit comes in a cardboard pouch containing the relevant spice mix, base mix and dry ingredients, simplifying the cooking process. For example, the Samosa kit includes an innovative dry onion mix as an alternative to fresh onion, garlic and ginger, enabling consumers to create a spicy filling with no chopping of base ingredients at all; a first for the UK mainstream retail market.
Shelly Nuruzzaman, continues: “Growing up, I saw how my mum poured time and love into her food, transforming humble ingredients into something really special. However, lives are much busier nowadays and most consumers just don’t have the bandwidth to spend hours cooking. Our kits do the complicated legwork of a curry dish, leaving consumers to follow simple 3-step instructions to bring it to life in their kitchen.”
Each kit is based on an easy 1-2-3 process: ‘Prep It, ‘Spice It’, ‘Cook It’. On the back of each kit are recipe tips from Shelly Nuruzzaman along with a QR code, taking consumers through to recipes and ‘how to’ videos.
Lucy White, World Foods Buyer at Waitrose, says: “We look for products that offer our customers something different, are high-quality and taste delicious. BANG! Curry does all those things, and offers our World Foods category a new proposition. We’re pleased to welcome BANG! Curry to Waitrose.”
Shelly Nuruzzaman, says: “Even the shopping list is easy – consumers just need to add one or two fresh ingredients – a large onion for the bhajis or potatoes and peas for the veggie samosas.”
BANG! Curry launches in Waitrose stores nationwide on 22 July 2024. The Samosa kit RRP £2.09 and the Pakora kit, Dahl kit and Bhaji kit RRP £2.99.