A scientist who became an entrepreneur, Dr. Shelly Nuruzzaman, has converted her passion for real Bangladeshi curry into a lucrative six-figure enterprise. She started BANG! Curry with a little £650 investment, her love of cooking, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Today, the brand serves over 250,000 people and is carried by well-known stores like Waitrose and HelloFresh.
52-year-old Dr. Shelly Nuruzzaman graduated from Imperial College London in 2000 with a doctorate in Inertial Confinement Fusion. Before taking a career break following the birth of her second son, she worked for years in London's finance industry.
In 2014, Dr. Nuruzzaman made the decision to turn her culinary talents into a business because she was motivated by her Bangladeshi background and wanted to strike a balance between work and family life. Encouraged by her husband, Mark, she started her business and came up with the name BANG! Curry.
"I had more time to cook and focus on what we were eating," Dr Nuruzzaman told The Sun. "The idea of turning that passion into something bigger felt exciting."
Starting small, Dr Nuruzzaman invested £650 to kick-start BANG! Curry. She began hosting cooking classes priced at £90 and would showcase her products at local food markets. Drawing from her lifelong experience preparing Bangladeshi dishes, she set out to create curry kits that would make it easier for customers to recreate authentic flavours at home.
Perfecting her recipes took nearly a year of experimentation, blending spices to replicate the rich and nuanced tastes of Bangladeshi cuisine. By 2019, Dr Nuruzzaman launched her website and began selling her kits online. "I wanted something simple and approachable, where people could enjoy curry without feeling intimidated by the process," she said in an interview.
BANG! Curry has flourished in the years since its launch. The brand has sold 750,000 kits in just five years and continues to grow. Its meal kits simplify cooking by breaking the process down into three easy steps, with video tutorials available to guide customers.
Unlike pre-made sauces, BANG! Curry kits offer spice blends that allow customers to prepare homemade curry with their choice of ingredients. The kits cater to various dietary preferences, including vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options, ensuring inclusivity for all households.
Dr Nuruzzaman proudly markets her kits as a faster, healthier alternative to takeaway curries. On her LinkedIn profile, she emphasises the convenience of BANG! Curry, which offers the flavours of home-cooked food in a fraction of the time. Today, the brand's products are featured in high-profile platforms like Waitrose and HelloFresh, making them widely accessible.
Dr Nuruzzaman's achievements have not gone unnoticed. Her culinary expertise and entrepreneurial drive recently earned her a nomination as one of the Top 10 chefs from Bangladesh.
As BANG! Curry continues to thrive, Dr Nuruzzaman credits her heritage and dedication to authenticity for the brand's success. "It's about bringing people closer to the joy of cooking," she says. Her journey from lab coat to CEO highlights the power of blending passion with perseverance, turning a modest investment into a flourishing business.