Why & How...Our story...so far
Growing up in Poole, on the Southcoast of England, to parents from the midlands, the kitchen was the heart of our home.
Mum was a foodie before it was fashionable, an old-school cook who filled the table with food which evoked that typical 1980s cordon bleu, Delia-esque, Ken Hom-inspired bastardised recipes that epitomised the 80s yuppy era of say whatever-works-advertising & mis-selling.
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She didn’t teach me how to cook, but her passion for flavourful good home-cooked food ignited my own interest in cooking. I remember flopping onto the sofa after school to see “Ready Steady Cook” and then when dinner time rolled around is was Jamie Oliver’s first “Naked Chef” series. I didn't realise it at the time, but those show - and her love of cooking - were quietly shaping the path I'd eventually walk.
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I wasn’t cut out for textbooks and lecture halls, so uni was never on the cards. In 2006, I threw myself into the heat of professional kitchens. I learned quickly that the TV version of hospitality left out a lot of sweat, swearing, and double shifts — but I was hooked. I wanted to be part of it all, dreaming of London kitchens and Michelin stars.
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In my early twenties, life came at full speed — a wedding, a move to Oxfordshire, and kids. Throw in financial pressure and mental health struggles, and things got heavy. Then, in April 2015, I got the call no one wants: Mum was in Poole Hospital. I was told I couldn’t leave work, and I hesitated — just for an hour or so. That hour cost me the chance to say goodbye. She passed away the next day.
That moment broke me. The guilt, the grief — it was overwhelming. But thankfully, a close friend helped me through it. They reminded me there was still so much left to live for. And as the fog slowly lifted, something inside me stirred — a desire to do something meaningful. To honour her. To create something she’d be proud of.
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​It all started with a pretty average bottle of hot sauce. I thought, Mum would've had something to say about this! And that’s when the idea hit: what if I made my own?
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These days, it’s easy to get caught up in the filtered perfection of social media — all shiny highlights, none of the struggle. But at Oakes Hot Sauce, we don’t do fake. We show up as real as it gets — messy, honest, and full of heart. Because what’s the point of hiding when authenticity is what makes it meaningful?
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Every bottle is packed with passion, purpose, and proper flavour. It’s the fire I inherited, bottled up and ready to share. It’s Mum’s legacy — reimagined, re-ignited, and full of life.
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Of course, I haven’t done this alone. None of it would’ve been possible without the incredible woman who helped me climb out of that dark place — now my partner and biggest supporter. Together, with our beautifully blended family of six amazing kids, we keep building something special.
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Oakes Hot Sauce isn’t just a condiment. It’s a story. It’s a celebration. It’s proof that from the toughest moments, something truly great can rise.
I’ll never know for sure what Mum would say about it all. But I think — just maybe — she’d be proud.​
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Oakes Hot Sauce can be a reminder that even in the face of loss, we can find purpose and create something beautiful.
What will you do with it?
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