teikodornorbelievethehype

It's been a while since I've really done any cooking. Pregnancy gave me a heightened sense of smell which put me completely off the kitchen, but I’m g r a d u a l l y getting back into the swing of things, and am looking forward to the festive treats that accompany Christmas dinner and all. Hence my excitement when I came across food brand Ciren Calui....if your a foodie like me you will appreciate the time and effort that goes into making these luxury accompaniments.....I also hope it encourages people out there who may feel they can't find the time to commit to their dreams and aspirations... Ciren Calui business owner Claudine is not only an award winning entrepreneur but also the mother of four beautiful children, that’s some serious time management going on there....very inspiring!

1.In a few words, tell me about your business and why you decided to create Ciren Calui. I make luxury chilli, savoury and sweet jams. I made chilli jam for Christmas presents a couple of years ago for friends and family and got a good response, so I started experimenting with ingredients and spices and creating unusual jams – gave them to friends to try and loved peoples response and with the encouragement from friends decided to start selling them. CIREN CALUI was born.

2.How have u managed to combine the challenges of motherhood with being the owner of a thriving business? Tell us about any difficulties you have overcome. It is very challenging juggling motherhood and running a business, but I do it because of my kids – I named the business after them and also working for myself enables me to be more flexible with my time. I can work around things. It does get difficult when I’ve got shows on, but I find the best solutions I can.

3.What advice would you give to those of us who want to start thier own businesses in 2013? If you got a business idea and you think it can work, go for it…you got to follow your dreams and work hard to achieve them.

4.In this current economic climate how do stay inspired, what motivates you and what are your long term goals for your business? As we know the current economic climate isn’t easy at the moment and money is tight, but I stay focused on what I’m doing and I believe people will always spend money on something that tastes really good. I have won 4 great taste awards for my jams so far, so knowing people are loving my flavours inspires me to keep creating more, people will always looking for that something different.

5.Tell us more about your range? There are 17 different kinds of jams, ranging from chilli, savoury and sweet jams. They are all great condiments for cheese and meats. Delicious In sandwiches & used in marinades and cooking.

6.Are there any products you would recommend for the Christmas season in particular? Yes My Cranberry & Chilli Jam is perfect with your festive meats, be it just used as a condiment for turkey or used as a glaze for your festive hams. The Red Onion spicy jam is great for your cheese boards and The Ginger, Chilli & Allspice jam is delicious with meats especially chipolatas – glaze them with this jam and roast to give them a nice spicy gingery kick & for something sweet try Cranberry Spiced, Sweet spicy Jam or Blueberry spiced jam, The perfect jams to have for breakfast on toast/ croissants Christmas morning. You won’t be disappointed.

7.Where do we purchase items from your line? All jams are available online at www.cirencalui.com. I am also at North Harrow market the first week of every month. Check online to see where I’m selling.

8.Please share any cooking tips with us! Experiment! Experiment! Experiment!

9.What are your personal favourites and why? I don’t know?? It changes I might want a real hot kick one minute so I’ll go for The Scotch Bonnet & Pomegranate, or if I want it smoky and hot, The Spicy Chipotle jam. My favourite savoury is the Spicy Red Onion jam and my favourite sweet one is Cranberry spiced jam, love it on croissants and toast.

10.Moto for 2013. Believe in yourself and never give up. For more information....www.cirencalui.com...bon appetit x Teiko