The Woman Behind the Flavours: How Ruby and Steve Sailopal Are Reinventing Desi Snacking.
Some of the best food stories begin around a family table. Long before products appear on supermarket shelves or eye-catching branding captures our attention, there are treasured recipes, childhood memories and traditions passed from one generation to the next.
For husband-and-wife team Steve and Ruby Sailopal, those memories became the inspiration behind Curry Smugglers, a bold British brand that’s giving traditional South Asian snacks the recognition they deserve. While Steve has built a career spotting opportunities and disrupting established markets, it’s Ruby’s authentic recipes and understanding of the flavours she grew up with that form the heart of every can.
The brand’s playful name is inspired by a family story dating back to the 1970s, when Steve’s mother regularly returned from India with suitcases filled with spices. A light-hearted comment from a customs officer about “smuggling curry” stayed with the family and, decades later, became the perfect name for a business celebrating the tastes and traditions of South Asian culture.
But Curry Smugglers is about far more than clever branding. Together, Steve and Ruby have created a business that combines heritage with innovation, introducing a new generation to Desi snacks in a way that feels fresh, contemporary and proudly authentic.
For Women Talking, what makes this story particularly compelling is the partnership behind the business. Behind every successful product is someone who has carefully developed the recipes, perfected the flavours and ensured that every bite reflects generations of family cooking. Ruby’s influence reaches far beyond the kitchen, helping shape a brand built on authenticity, culture and a shared passion for bringing people together through food.
Behind every successful business is a story worth telling, and for Curry Smugglers that story is as much about family as it is food. We spoke to Steve and Ruby about building a business together, preserving family traditions and why staying true to their roots has been the secret ingredient behind their growing success.
Ruby, every great food brand starts in the kitchen before it reaches the shelves. As the creator of the recipes, how did you transform the flavours you grew up with into snacks that feel both authentic and exciting for today’s customers?
Ruby: My mum would probably laugh if she knew the snacks she made for us growing up now sit on the shelves of Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason. She was an incredible home cook, and feeding people was her love language. I think that’s where Curry Smugglers really began.
Two of our snacks, Chakli and Pakora, come directly from those memories. I never wanted to reinvent them because they didn’t need reinventing. I wanted people to experience the flavours I grew up with without feeling they had to go searching for them in the “world foods” aisle. We simply gave them the confidence to stand out, just like the culture they come from.
As a husband-and-wife team, how do your different strengths complement each other? Steve may have the branding vision, but Ruby, how much influence have you had in shaping the personality and direction of Curry Smugglers beyond the recipes?
Ruby: Steve dreams in full colour. I make sure we can actually make it happen! He’ll come home with ten new ideas before breakfast, and I’m usually the one asking, “Who’s making all this then?”
But that’s why we work. The recipes may have started with me, but the personality of Curry Smugglers is something we’ve built together. I wanted the brand to feel like our family: warm, welcoming, a little cheeky and never afraid to laugh at itself. If people meet our brand and feel like they’ve just been invited round for tea and snacks, then we’ve got it right.
Many women will recognise the challenge of balancing family life with building a business. What have you both learned about working together as a couple, and what advice would you give to other women who are thinking about turning a passion into a business?
Steve and Ruby: Let’s just say we’ve learned that not every conversation needs to happen while loading the dishwasher! Building a business together is rewarding, but it also takes patience, honesty and the ability to laugh when things don’t go to plan. We celebrate the wins together and carry the tough days together too.
If you’re thinking about turning a passion into a business, don’t wait until you feel ready. None of us ever really do. Start where you are, trust yourself and remember that every successful business began with someone taking a chance on an idea.
Food has an incredible way of preserving memories and traditions. Ruby, is there a family recipe, ingredient or cooking ritual that instantly takes you back to your childhood, and how has that inspired Curry Smugglers?
Ruby: The sound of hot oil bubbling and the smell of spices hitting the pan instantly takes me back to my mum’s kitchen. She’d be cooking enough food to feed an army, and somehow there was always room for one more person at the table.
That’s how I grew up. Food wasn’t just dinner; it was how we celebrated, looked after one another and stayed connected. That feeling is at the heart of Curry Smugglers. Every can has a little bit of my childhood packed inside it, just with slightly better branding than my mum ever imagined!
Curry Smugglers is proudly celebrating South Asian culture in a fresh, modern way. What do you hope young British Asian women and girls see when they look at your brand, and what message would you like them to take from your journey?
Ruby: I hope they see that they never have to choose between where they’ve come from and where they’re going. For years it felt like you had to tone parts of yourself down to fit in. I love that we’re part of a generation saying the opposite.
Our culture is colourful, creative and full of incredible stories, so let’s celebrate it properly. If our journey encourages another woman to back herself, take pride in her heritage or put her own ideas into the world, then that means a great deal to me.
Women Talking celebrates inspiring women from all walks of life. Ruby, as the woman behind the recipes, what has this journey taught you about believing in your own ideas, and what would you say to another woman sitting on a business idea she hasn’t yet had the confidence to pursue?
Ruby: For a long time I thought, “They’re just the snacks my mum made.” I didn’t realise that what feels ordinary to you can be completely new and exciting to someone else. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned.
Don’t underestimate your own story, and don’t wait for someone else to tell you your idea is good enough. Start. You’ll make mistakes and doubt yourself from time to time, but you’ll also surprise yourself. The hardest step is the first one. After that, you just keep moving.
More Than Just a Snack
As our conversation came to an end, one thing became abundantly clear: Curry Smugglers is about much more than reimagining Bombay Mix.
Steve’s entrepreneurial vision and Ruby’s authentic recipes have created the perfect partnership. While Steve has challenged perceptions of South Asian snacking through bold branding and innovation, it’s Ruby’s family heritage, creativity and passion for flavour that give the brand its heart. Together, they have built something that feels both deeply personal and refreshingly modern—a business rooted in trust, shared ambition and a genuine love of food.
At a time when consumers increasingly want to know the stories behind the brands they buy, Curry Smugglers offers exactly that. Every can celebrates family, culture and craftsmanship while proving that traditional recipes can evolve without losing their authenticity.
For women considering turning a family recipe, a lifelong passion or a creative idea into a business, Steve and Ruby’s journey is a reminder that some of the strongest brands are built not by following trends, but by embracing your own story.
Whether you’re discovering Desi snacks for the first time or rediscovering flavours that remind you of home, Curry Smugglers proves that the best ideas often begin with family, tradition and the confidence to do things differently. It’s a story of heritage, partnership and believing that authentic food deserves to take pride of place.
We can’t wait to see what Steve and Ruby create next.
Visit the Curry Smugglers Shop here.
Poppy Watt