Indian food entrepreneur Monalisa Fathima has opened a new production facility in Ripon for her latest venture, Monalisa’s Kitchen.
The expanded unit at Sycamore Business Park in Copt Hewick marks a new stage for the award-winning founder, whose journey into the World Foods category began during a period of personal challenge.
Six years ago, while in the final months of completing a PhD in Education, Monalisa was diagnosed with congenital cataracts.
During her recovery, she became reliant on supermarket ready meals and identified what she described as a gap in the market for homemade Indian flavours.
That experience led her to develop a range of handcrafted, ready-to-cook products designed to deliver restaurant-style dishes at home in under 30 minutes.
Monalisa previously founded Saffron Tree, a Yorkshire-based brand focused on premium chilled ready meals.
The company gained national recognition, including praise from The Hairy Bikers and listings with supermarket retailer Waitrose.
Monalisa’s Kitchen represents a shift towards products aimed at home cooks.
The new Ripon premises include a bespoke production kitchen, storage and office space. The move follows a year in which the brand received a Bronze Commendation from The Grocer at its national new product food awards in 2025.
Monalisa, founder of Monalisa’s Kitchen, said:
“My mission is to help people discover that the rich, complex flavours of Indian food can be recreated in their own kitchen with very little effort.
“After the success of Saffron Tree and my own personal health journey, moving into this new facility in Ripon, surrounded by like-minded entrepreneurs, feels like a homecoming.
“The new business unit allows for controlled, compliant production and measured growth as we reach more kitchens across the UK.
“My range is rooted in traditional flavours made with premium ingredients, presented in a way that fits naturally into modern British kitchens.
“Unlike most curry pastes and sauces on the market, the masala pastes are raw and uncooked, prepared in the same way they would be at home.
“They are not pre-cooked or heat-treated and only come to life when the customer cooks with them, allowing the flavours to develop naturally during the cooking process and delivering taste that is as authentic as it can be.”
The current Monalisa’s Kitchen range includes five curry masala pastes: tikka, makhani, korma, rogan josh and vindaloo.
The line-up also features a signature spice blend, pakora masala and side dishes such as pulao rice and tadka dal.
New products are in development and expected to launch later this year.
Monalisa’s Kitchen products are available through the company’s online store and supplied wholesale to selected independent farm shops.
