Kirstall road restaurant Viva Cuba is branching out nationwide – launching a range of sauces and other cooking ingredients with some big national supermarket chains.
It’s already famous with locals for its Spanish-inspired Cuban tapas menu, now its sauces are taking on big name brands like Peri Peri and Reggae Reggae on supermarket shelves across the country.
Owner and head chef Seb McGowan has gone nationwide with his Mojo Red and Green sauces, which are made using a special, closely-guarded recipe belonging to his mother-in-law.
What began as a side hustle in 2018 quickly ramped up during lockdown, becoming a full-blown £100k business and selling over 10,000 bottles a month.
“While we’ve been forced to close the restaurant because of the pandemic, the positive has been that we’ve been able to drive the Mojo brand forward,” said Seb.
Already stocked at Morrisons and Ocado, they’ve now been picked up by Co-Op too – meaning next time you pop in for a shop you’ll spy the familiar packaging sitting on the shelves.
On top of the sauces, the pair have developed a whole new range of mayos, sauces, rubs and complementary foods due to be released in coming months under the Mojo brand.
“The ultimate goal is to become the next big sauce success story, like Peri Peri or Reggae Reggae,” said James.
The Mojo Red and Mojo Green sauces have sat on restaurant tables for nearly 20 years – but now fans can pick them up in their local supermarket, too.
Mojo Red is a sweet and smoky sauce, whilst Mojo Green draws more on garlic and the flavours of fresh herbs.
The award-winning low sugar, low salt, low carb, low fat, vegetarian and vegan-friendly products have gained a cult following in the sauces and condiments aisle, offering a high quality, low-cost alternative to traditional sauces like ketchup and mayo.
