One entrepreneur says it was a “pinch moment” when she saw her sauce on the shelves at Selfridges.
Marie Hackett started Dapoule Marie about five years ago with her husband, Gerald Hackett, a trained chef, offering specialty sauces, private chef reservations, supper clubs and takeout.
What started as a small business in a home kitchen in Maple Cross has moved into home delivery in the Watford area during lockdown, local markets and trade shows and a co-op incubator scheme ‘The Apiary’ providing guidance to small suppliers. did.
The project marked a breakthrough moment for the recipe creator, with Dapur Mariae’s Malay, peanut and sambal sauces now on co-op shelves and launched in Selfridges last week.
Marie said:
“Since our origins were in a humble home kitchen, it was honestly a dream come true for us to be on the shelves of such high-end stores.
“Even when I was standing in front of it, I couldn’t believe it was there.”
Marie Hackett outside Selfridges. (Image: Marie Hackett)
The Malaysian-born businesswoman moved to the UK in 1989 to train as a nurse, but brought her passion for cooking and family recipes with her. Marie worked in the cardiac unit at Harefield Hospital until she retired four years ago to focus on her business.
She says her products are unique because she sticks to authentic Malaysian cooking methods, without cutting corners or changing recipes to suit Western customers’ expectations.
The 56-year-old added: “Basically, this is a very cherished family recipe that I adapted to make it my own.
Marie Hackett with sauces on the shelf at Selfridges. (Image: Marie Hackett)
“The process was very traditional and we didn’t compromise on anything.”
While we haven’t compromised on taste, our goal is to make authentic Malaysian food accessible to everyone, and our entire range is accessible to everyone, vegan-friendly and gluten-free.
The next goal is to get Dapur Mariae products on even more shelves, including big name stores such as Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, as well as more independent butchers and delis locally and nationally.
You can also order and reserve sauces online.
