The founder of SpiceBox Organics, Punam has been at the forefront of Hong Kong’s health and wellness scene since 2012. Her business sources organic, plant-based pantry staples from ethical, sustainable suppliers from around the world.
What was it like for you starting out as a pioneering health and wellness business in Hong Kong?
It’s been quite eventful since we launched in 2012! But any entrepreneurial venture is bound to be a rollercoaster. I remember asking myself if I had made the right choice six months into opening our first little shop in Sai Ying Pun. It took a year for it to feel truly established. We hosted many cooking classes and workshops which helped build our little community. Then we opened Caine Road and Kennedy Town, expanding into a wellness cafe and market, as well as meals to go. Finally, we decided to venture into Kowloon, and opened our Tseung Kwan O location last year.
How have you managed to stay so popular with the community over the years?
We have evolved into a one-stop-shop for all your household and pantry needs. We diversified into ready-to-eat food, café drinks and smoothies, healthy vegan and vegetarian menus, catering, and a guilt-free and gluten-free bakery, serving up homemade desserts. Hong Kong has a lot of access to global online platforms that offer organic shelf stable products, but we offer fresh veggies and fruits, as well as freshly prepared healthy meals and snacks.
What have been some of your proudest moments in your business journey so far?
One highlight was receiving two awards from Food Made Good: Business of the Year 2020 and the One Planet Plate Award 2021. We were happy to be recognised for our efforts in reducing food waste and in creating sustainable dishes. We are proud to be conscious of our efforts in handling food ingredients in the kitchen.
Did you face any challenges during Covid? If so, how did you overcome them?
It’s been hard on the community as a whole over the past two years. We are thankful for the help we received from the Hong Kong government, as well as support from our loyal customer base who continued to order online. Taking care of our staff was important to us, as was ensuring social distancing and sanitisation measures were in place, and general support as needed.
What are some of your best-selling products?
Our baked samosas do extremely well, as do as our ladoos, which are a delicious and healthy snack for on-the-go. The hummuses are also very popular in the grab-and-go section, especially the Black Chickpea flavour. Among the retail items, we recently started selling fox nuts (popped lotus seeds) in bulk by weight, and also bespoke granola by local brand Pura Vida, made specially for SpiceBox Organics. These two products have been very warmly received by the local community.
Learn more at spiceboxorganics.com
