I grew up in a family where cooking was the centrepiece of life — social gatherings, holidays, weeknight dinners. Exploring food wasn't just encouraged, it was how we understood other people and cultures.

Travelling extensively across Asia and beyond, I fell in love with the richness of coconut in the tropics — stirred into curries, scattered in sambols, folded into sweets. And everywhere from East Asia to the Middle East, I kept running into sesame — toasted, stone-ground, scattered, stirred — bringing depth and warmth to whatever it touched.

Over a couple of seasons I ran the kitchens of holiday chalets and villas across the European Alps and the Mediterranean — cooking in a professional capacity for groups of all kinds, with no formal training to lean on, just a love of flavour, good organisation, and presentation. It taught me that food can feel generous, considered, and a little bit special without ever being complicated.

Christmas 2020 — the world had stopped and everyone was cooped up, unable to travel. So I put together handmade gift boxes for family and friends — spices, chillies, exotic chocolate, and liqueurs. I called them Sunshine Boxes: a burst of warmth and colour when we all needed it most. The seed of something bigger had been planted.

Out of creamed coconut mid-stir fry, I grabbed the tahini. The result was a revelation — rich, balanced, and effortlessly versatile. I started wondering: what if I could bring coconut and sesame together in a single jar?

Months of experimenting — toasting, grinding, blending, tasting, tweaking. Dialling in the ratio of coconut to tahini, the length of the toast, the right amount of coconut nectar. By summer, the first official batch was made at home with hand-applied labels. By autumn, the brand had a name: Maluku & Co.

With the original blend dialled in, the experimenting continued. Cocoa and cinnamon. Nutmeg and coconut nectar. Each new combination opened up a different world — some rich and indulgent, others warm and aromatic. The range started taking shape.

Processes being finalised, recipes perfected, and jars almost ready to go. What started as a missing ingredient in a London kitchen is about to land on shelves — and hopefully, in your kitchen too.