East End

East End Foods is a family business from the West Midlands that has supplied spices, pulses and flour to British Asian households for decades. Its packs moved from corner shops into the big supermarkets over the years, and the name is now one of the most familiar on any spice shelf in the country.

The East End range we carry is built around seeds and spices. There is ajwain, kalonji, Bengali panch phoron, coarse ground black pepper and kasuri methi, plus linseed among our seeds. Alongside those sit sago in small and medium pearls, jumbo raisins, lychees among the fruit in syrup and a pure sunflower oil.

Bengali cooks crackle panch phoron in hot mustard oil before adding greens, dal or a potato tarkari. Kalonji is scattered over naan and folded into lime pickle, ajwain goes into paratha dough and pakora batter, and a pinch of crushed kasuri methi is the last touch on butter chicken or methi matar malai. Jumbo raisins are fried in ghee for biryani and kheer, and medium sago holds its shape better than small in a sabudana vada. A chilled tin of lychees is an easy end to a big meal.

Whole seeds keep their flavour for around a year in a sealed jar, while ground pepper fades within a few months of opening, so buy the larger bags only for what you use every day. To see how East End compares with other brands, browse our whole spices and dried fruit collections.