A third generation spice trader is celebrating the move to green packaging for his products.

Kumar Menon, who owns Leela’s Kitchen, which he named after his grandmother, also gives talks in schools about Indian culture and food.

The growth in demand for greener packaging and less plastic is one that is driving changes demanded by consumers not only to international companies but to businesses in the Isle of Man too.

Mr Menon, of Douglas, whose grandfather and father also sold spices, started his business seven years ago by cooking for people in their homes and teaching them how to cook authentic Asian dishes themselves.

He told the Manx Independent that his move away from plastic containers was driven by customer demand and wanting to do his bit to protect the planet.

Mr Menon, who came to the island in 2003 as a catering student, said: ’When I first launched the spices, it was just normal to use plastic and now obviously we are all trying to be green so I went to the highest quality plastic that can be recycled, but that’s still plastic.

’Our customers had started asking: "Can you get non-plastic containers?" and it’s also doing something for the next generation so I thought that it is the right thing to do moving forward.’

He added that when he was a finalist in the 2018 Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence, he made a promise then to move his business to biodegradable containers.

So Mr Menon sees the initiative as keeping a promise that he had made.

The new packaging will first be launched for five products, the new spice ground cumin, piri piri spice blend, mild curry powder, vindaloo and black pepper, with the others to follow next year.

Along with the new packaging comes new artwork with designs that have been created by local artist Julia Ashby Smyth, who also created the design for the special Fynoderee Gin flavour Kerala Chai, which Mr Menon’s spices were used to create.

The designs include endangered animals such as the Asian elephant and the Malabar giant squirrel, which Mr Menon admits are supposed to be a ’little bit educational’ as well as nice to look at.

He said: ’People don’t know much about animals like Asian elephants. Some people think you can see them everywhere, but not many people know that they are on the endangered species list.’

Besides running his business, Mr Menon has also spent some of his time visiting schools and speaking to children about his Indian culture, the importance of family and of course, food.

He said: ’The kids are fantastic and that is the whole point of me doing this - to keep this going for the next generation otherwise it is just pointless and it would just be microwave meals whereas I want to encourage people to make home-cooked meals.

The business, while Manx, is truly global.

Mr Menon’s mother, who taught him to cook as a boy and lives in India, advises him.

She keeps an eye on where the spices are grown, ensuring he knows exactly where the spices have come from and that he only sells spices he would use himself.

Leela’s Kitchen sells its products in Robinson’s, Tynwald Mills, Mostly Manx, Mother Nature and the Sea Terminal.

For more information visit www.leelaskitchen.co.uk