AFIA’S SAMOSA SHOP INTERVIEW WITH...
Afia Akram – Founder SO, AFIA, TELL US ABOUT HOW IT ALL STARTED?
APPETISERS
We meet Afia Akram, founder of Afia’s Samosa Shop – the business behind the tastiest gluten free samosa’s you’ll likely ever find!
I started with my first farmers market at Brindley Place in Birmingham back in 2009 with a complete sellout. In 2012 I restarted as a limited company with the brand and trading name Afia’s Samosa Shop with the help of Mum who retired that year. Mum has had Coeliac Disease since mid90’s; at a time when it was relatively unknown and free from food was only available on prescription. WE SEE YOU HAVE A LOT OF AWARDS, TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THESE?
In 2013, received our first awards: Great Taste and Free From. Since then have grown from strength organically and by reputation. So far we have been awarded: • 2016 Quality Choice Food Awards - Wheat & Gluten Free Samosa • 2015/2013 Free From Food Awards - Wheat & Gluten Free Samosa • 2014 BBC Good Food Champion • 2013 Great Taste Gold Award Gourmet Wheat Pastry Samosa TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR ALLERGY CREDENTIALS?
All our foods are free from, but we label them in two groups: Wheat & Gluten-Free and Traditional Wheat Pastry. Over half our products are vegan. All hand made in small batches for maximum quality control, using dedicated utensils to keep vegan and non-vegan, gluten-free and non-gluten free contact free from each other. We take risks of contamination of food allergens and the associated implications very serious. I am a vegetarian since
OUR VERDICT
my late teens out of choice. We all are spoilt for choices for what to eat. Respecting each person’s wish to what to consume, either for religious, ethical beliefs or medical necessity is important. Our business speciality is purely Free From traditional Indian foods i.e. Wheat & Gluten-Free or non-Gluten-Free. Wheat & Gluten Free Vegan range (free from all 14-food allergens): • Samosa: Traditional Vegetable (mild and tasty), Spicy Mix Vegetable (fuller flavour from mixed spices), Mirch (trad. veg. with fresh chilli), Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Spicy Daal, The Inferno Samosa (for extreme chilli lovers)
j There’s no doubt that Samosa’s are one item many will miss if they have tried them before being diagnosed as a coeliac, but with Afia’s solution to this issue, any samosa loving coeliac would be delighted by these! Incidentally, the gluten free version of the samosa tastes so good, any consumer would proudly devour one.
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• Pakora: Onion, Mix Vegetable, Spicy Vegetable, Mirch (whole chilli), Scotch Bonnet (whole chilli) • Indian Flatbreads: Plain Roti, Aloo Paratha, Gobi Paratha • Achar (Indian pickles): varied restock in production, takes min 6 months to 2 years to mature before ready to consume (some contain mustard) Non-Gluten Free Vegan Samosa range (free from all 12 major food allergens except wheat and gluten): • Samosa (same filling as wheat and gluten-free range): Traditional Vegetable, Spicy Mix Vegetable, Mirch, Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Spicy Daal, The Inferno.
AFIA’S FOOD
Web: www.afias.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)7974 669 194 Email: info@afias.co.uk
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