Working for the family oyster farm business was inspiration for Lismore-based Mairi Hawkes to create her own boozy sauce company.
The 52-year-old quickly realised a lot of people didn’t like raw oysters and believed an alcoholic sauce could make them more appealing.
During lockdown she started experimenting with taste and flavours and created a selection of boozy desert and savoury sauces.
It was the start of Slainte Sauces and a journey that nearly three years later is seeing her appear on Channel 4 series Aldi’s Next Big Thing tomorrow night in a bid to win a “life changing” contract which will see her products stocked in more than 1,000 stores.
Slainte Sauces journey
Mairi, who describes herself as a generational islander, said: “My husband started working on my late father’s oyster farm and we were selling them at markets.
“A lot of people were saying they couldn’t take a raw oyster. I was thinking I bet if I can add whisky or gin to that oyster there’ll be a queue and that’s how I got the idea.
“Thought I needed an alcoholic sauce to sell more oysters for the family business.
“During Covid I thought I’d give it a go to develop it and work with a food scientist.
“However, it was the desert sauces that really caught the attention of people at the markets and buying them.
“It was an easier road to go down. Because I was using alcohol flavours and looking at cocktail recipes.
“It organically grew down the desert route.”
Selection of sauces
Sauces include rum & salted caramel, whisky with raspberry & vanilla and white chocolate & raspberry martini – all containing 25% alcohol.
It’s currently stocked in around 30 delicatessens and farm shops around Oban and a number of food halls.
Mairi, who has invested £30,000 in the business, started off working from her kitchen while she was experimenting before using the community cafe in Lismore to start creating her products.
Two years ago she moved in to her own production unit in Oban.
Take business to ‘whole new level’
Now she is set to appear on a national TV programme in a bid to boost her business brand.
Hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile and Chris Bavin, of BBC’s The One Show and Eat Well for Less, the six-part series will see suppliers compete in a range of categories including dinners and baked goods and confectionery.
Products are presented to Julie Ashfield, Aldi UK managing director of buying, who judges before shortlisting contestants down to just two.
The finalists are then given four weeks to address any feedback, with a follow-up home visit from Anita or Chris who will report back their findings to Julie.
The three then taste test the improved products, before Julie decides the winner which will appear as a Specialbuy in more than 1,000 Aldi stores.
Mairi, who is married to Geoff, said: “My sister-in-law sent me the advert last year about the show and I thought there was no way I could do something like that.
“I thought when you see these opportunities you’ve just got to go for it and I applied. Within a week I was speaking to production.
“The next thing I was invited to Birmingham to pitch. It was just a rollercoaster but an incredible experience and amazing opportunity.
“I’m very excited to showcase the business. When you come from a small island it’s very difficult to get your product known and brand awareness.
“Something like this is incredible.”
“It would take the business to a whole new level.”
Slainte Sauces in the USA
Mairi is now looking at developing a non alcoholic desert sauce and to keep growing the business.
“The future is to keep organically growing the business and reaching out to the UK market.
“But also America as well. We see a huge opening there. They’ve got very strong Scottish connections and it’s really where we want to go by the end of the year.”
The programme will air tomorrow at 8pm on Channel 4.
