Masala Factory was born of a personal desire. When founder and head masalamaker, Kunal Gupta, first moved to Canada, he noticed a flavour difference in the food he was making for himself at home. After some investigation, he came to realize that the spices available here differed from what he had grown up with. As a child, Gupta spent time at his Grandfather’s house in Old Delhi, close to Khari Baoli, Asia’s oldest and largest spice market. Inspired by those memories and motivated by taste, Gupta began creating his own spice blends. We spoke with Gupta to learn more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Masala Factory and we make small batch chai blends, dry cooking spice blends and chutneys
What made you want to do this work?
I started my business while working full-time; not because I had everything figured out, but because I couldn’t ignore the pull of something deeper. Growing up, the scent of freshly ground spices was part of the fabric of our daily life. My grandfather ran a small spice shop in the heart of Old Delhi. It wasn’t just a business; it was a legacy; an extension of who he was. People didn’t just come for his blends; they came for what those blends represented: home, memory, and connection. When I moved away, I realized just how much of that connection was missing. The spices on store shelves here didn’t carry the same soul. They were stripped of the stories; the patience; the tradition. That’s when I knew I had to do something. So I started small, from my kitchen, after long days at work. I spent countless nights testing blends, chasing the exact aromas that reminded me of my childhood. I wasn’t just building a business; I was keeping a piece of my grandfather alive. Every spice blend I create today carries his legacy; my family’s history; and the belief that tradition, no matter how far from home, can still thrive. This business isn’t just about spices; it’s about identity, resilience, and sharing something real. I want people to experience what I grew up with: authenticity, depth, and warmth in every dish. Because we all deserve to taste home, even if it’s half a world away.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
After moving away from home, I deeply missed the authenticity of real Indian flavours. The spices I found on store shelves lacked the patience, care, and generational knowledge that go into traditional blends. That absence stayed with me, and it became clear that I wanted to bring those flavours back, not just for myself, but for others who were also searching for something real.
One of the biggest problems I saw was how generic most cooking blends are, especially “curry powder.” In India, there is no such thing as a generic curry. Curry is contextual. A lamb curry, a vegetable curry, a chicken curry. Each one has its own purpose-built spice blend. In the West, curry powder has become a one-size-fits-all solution because it is easier to sell than to educate, but that convenience comes at the cost of authenticity. We wanted to challenge that.
We noticed the same issue with chai. Many people think good chai is only about spices, but the tea itself is just as important. A proper Indian chai needs a strong Assam black tea. We use Assam CTC tea because it delivers the bold flavour, aroma, and colour that define real chai. Without it, even the best spices fall short.
Another major concern was the widespread use of preservatives, artificial colours, flavours, and fillers in cooking blends and chutneys. None of our products contains any of these. Our shelf life is shorter, but that is intentional. We make these blends the way we would for our own homes and families. There is no need for a 24- or 36-month shelf life when food is meant to be used, enjoyed, and finished fresh.
At its core, this business exists to bring intention, honesty, and tradition back into everyday cooking and drinking.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our clientele are people who truly value flavour and want it without compromise. They care about what real food should taste like and prefer products made without preservatives, fillers, artificial colours, or chemicals.
Most of our dry cooking blends are designed to make cooking easier without sacrificing authenticity. Everything is already balanced in the blend. The only things you need to add are salt and chilli according to your taste. This allows people to cook quickly while still achieving deep, layered flavours, because the work has already been done for them.
Our products are meant for people who enjoy cooking with real ingredients. Some like following traditional methods, while others prefer a quicker approach, but in both cases, they do not want to compromise on flavour, quality, or integrity.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We generate revenue through a few complementary channels. Our primary sales come from farmers’ markets on weekends and pop-up events throughout the year, especially during the holiday season. At these events, we sell our core products, which include purpose-built cooking blends for different dishes like chicken, lamb, or vegetable curries, as well as soups and stews.
We also sell chai blends, which are loose-leaf teas that customers can brew at home, either as a simple cup of tea or as a traditional Indian chai. In addition, we offer ready-to-eat chutneys that can be used straight out of the bottle as accompaniments or condiments.
Beyond direct-to-consumer sales, we work with other businesses through collaborations. We partner with food brands to supply our spice blends for their products, such as granola or baked goods. For example, we recently collaborated with a business to create a chai-spiced granola using our Masala Factory blend.
We also collaborate with event organizers and vendors. In one case, we partnered with the Shipyards Night Market, where we provided training, materials, and operational support to help run a chai stall.
Finally, we are gradually expanding into retail. Based on what performs best at markets, we are selectively placing our top-selling products in a small number of stores. Retail is an ongoing and intentional expansion rather than a mass rollout.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
The best way to find us is at local farmers’ markets throughout the year. We regularly participate in markets across the Lower Mainland, including Trout Lake, Riley Park, Kitsilano, Brentwood, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Squamish, Ladner, and White Rock, during both the summer and winter seasons.
We encourage people to visit us at these markets to experience our products firsthand. It’s the best way to taste the blends, ask questions, and understand what makes our spices, chai, and chutneys different. Markets allow customers to see, smell, and sample the products, whether they are discovering us for the first time or coming back for their favourites.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
A great question for customers to ask is, “How fresh are your products, and how are they made compared to store-bought options?”
Answer: The biggest difference is freshness and intention. Our blends are made in small batches and produced regularly, usually within a few weeks of when customers buy them. We do not manufacture in bulk and let products sit in storage or on shelves for long periods. This allows us to maintain strong quality control and ensure consistency in flavour and aroma.
Most store-bought spice blends and chai are produced at scale, often imported, and designed for long shelf life. That usually means preservatives and extended storage times. Our products are made to be used and enjoyed within a reasonable time frame. They come in practical sizes, like 50 or 100 grams, so customers can finish them while they are still fresh.
In short, we prioritise freshness, small-scale production, and real ingredients over mass production and long shelf life, and that difference is something customers can taste.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part of what we do is hearing directly from customers. When people come back and tell us how much they enjoyed the quality and depth of flavour in our products, it’s incredibly validating. Many of them are trying our cooking blends, chai, or chutneys for the first time and are surprised by how full and authentic the flavours are, especially knowing there are no preservatives, artificial colours, or chemicals involved.
It’s especially meaningful when customers who have travelled to India tell us that what they taste feels familiar and true to what they experienced there. That kind of feedback reassures us that we are doing something right and staying true to our values.
The toughest part of running our spice business is the unpredictability behind the scenes. We work with fresh, small-batch production, which means tight timelines and very little room for error. While we don’t import ingredients ourselves, our suppliers do, and because those raw materials come from different parts of the world, price fluctuations are hard to predict. When costs go up at the supplier level, we can’t always pass those increases on to our customers immediately, which means we often absorb the impact and see our margins shrink. Add to that the physical grind—packing, hauling stock, long market days, and constant prep—and it’s a lot of unglamorous work that people don’t usually see. It’s deeply rewarding, but it’s definitely not easy.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
The biggest joke about my profession is when people say “chai tea.” Chai literally means tea… so you’re just asking for tea tea.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Hard to pick one, but Gheelicious. Ghee is an integral part of Indian cooking and its multipurpose. It’s hard to get good ghee here, which is clean and full of flavour. Gheelicious is one of them.
