A Northern Eire entrepreneur who performed Jackie Chan’s physique double has created two Chinese language bottled sauces which might be made with 100% pure substances.
incent Tsang developed his gluten-free and vegan-friendly Candy Chilli and Candy & Bitter sauces for the rising market of these in search of wholesome options to favoured meals.
The Belfast man obtained help from town’s Innovation Manufacturing unit and Make investments NI and plans to develop gross sales by way of the UK and Eire.
“I had a nasty dose of eczema from a really younger age,” says Vincent (36).
“I noticed many docs right here and in Hong Kong, nevertheless it was solely a short-term repair. The medicine would work till your physique bought used to it.
“However what I discovered constantly that labored was having a wholesome, managed weight loss program. I’d so many allergic reactions — I couldn’t eat mango, pineapple, seafood — and spice would set off it.
“It wouldn’t occur instantly; I might benefit from the meals I shouldn’t be consuming in the course of the day after which at night time, once I was sleeping, I’d be scratching, solely to get up with cuts throughout my palms, for instance.”
Whereas wholesome consuming helped Vincent management his situation, a dialog with a buyer in his mother and father’ Chinese language restaurant prompted him to start out his new enterprise.
“I used to be asking them: ‘The place have you ever been?’ A direct quote from them was: ‘I’m simply attempting to be good.’
“All of it will depend on what goes into the Chinese language meals; it’s not all unhealthy. Then I assumed: ‘Let’s present how Chinese language meals will be wholesome.’
“I developed a candy chilli sauce which was gluten-free, vegan- pleasant, 100% pure substances and agave. I attempted it within the restaurant and it went properly.
“Then I made a decision to make a candy and bitter model, after which throughout lockdown I bottled it and began buying and selling within the third lockdown of 2020.”
Having been concerned within the household enterprise from childhood — “After I was wee, I used to be drying issues, moving into at lunchtime to assist, or chopping veg” — he discovered beginning his new profession path fairly clean.
“I just like the enterprise facet of issues. I studied finance at Queen’s College and that additionally helped when it comes to maintaining a tally of value, on budgeting, when it got here to organising the enterprise.
“Each mother and father are well being aware, so I knew which substances had been good and never good. When it got here to growing recipes, they stemmed from my mother and father’ recipes within the restaurant in Moira and I tweaked them to satisfy my wants.”
He participated in Belfast Metropolis Council’s Kickstart Programme, which led to his introduction to mentor Stephen Ellis. With Stephen’s assist, he efficiently utilized for an Innovation Voucher from Make investments NI to assist develop his enterprise concept and labored with CAFRE at Greenmount to make sure the sauces met all of the meals security tips and had a shelf lifetime of 18 months.
Tsang Sauce is now stocked in a variety of impartial meals shops in Northern Eire, whereas Vincent continues to develop his gross sales technique.
Probably the most tough half, he says, was discovering a steadiness between ensuring the sauces tasted nice whereas sustaining their healthiness.
“It’s very simple to place a great deal of sugar within the candy chilli, however I didn’t need to try this. I needed to ensure it was as wholesome as potential. I used to be attempting to cut back the sugar the place I may whereas sustaining the flavour.”
Innovation Manufacturing unit innovation supervisor Stephen Ellis mentioned he was certain that Vincent’s new merchandise will show to be an enormous success for the general public in search of wholesome variations of their favorite meals.
“Vincent’s story is a superb instance of the various incredible enterprise concepts popping out of Northern Eire,” Stephen says.
“It’s so rewarding for us at Innovation Manufacturing unit to play a task in supporting such thrilling initiatives and inspiring collaboration amongst a neighborhood of recent entrepreneurs.”
Vincent has funding to provide a brand new vary of sauces and is engaged on growing lower-calorie variations of many individuals’s favourites.
“I’ve additionally bought an concept for Dragons’ Den… Individuals have instructed me they need different flavours, so I’ll be capable to residence in on my mother and father’ recipes,” Vincent says.
One other of his passions, nevertheless, is appearing, with romance and motion being his most well-liked genres. Vincent is registered with extras company The Extras Dept, with a chance arising to play Jackie Chan’s physique double in 2017 movie The Foreigner.
“The position was to be his driving double. They selected me as a result of I used to be the closest in top to him. You’ll see the again of my head and my arms within the scenes.
“It was filmed in Larne Harbour, Belfast Metropolis Corridor and Tollymore Forest Park. In a single scene I needed to make a pointy flip with out hitting the brakes and managed to do it. The director mentioned we had one likelihood earlier than the sunshine light. It was fairly a little bit of strain — a bit like beginning your personal enterprise.”
Vincent’s web site, www.tsangsauce.com, supplies wholesome recipes utilizing his sauces. For extra info on Innovation Manufacturing unit, go to www.innovationfactoryni.com
