Cambridge start-up RishRight uses 400-year-old recipe for its Qin-Chilli range
Cambridge start-up RishRight has created a condiment range using a 400-year-old recipe featuring Qin-Chilli from Shaanxi, China.
And Cambridge, “the birthplace of the brand”, has taken up the range with alacrity. Current RishRight condiments retailers include Fredric’s Grocery, Harvest, Noodle+, Golden Noodle Bistro, Norfolk Street Bakery, Mill Road Butcher’s Shop, and – from this week – Jack’s Gelato.
Founders Yuan Gao and Rina Su (a Cambridge MBA) combined their passions for food and culture for the new range of four products – Yo Po Chilli (£9.99), traditional Qin-Chilli Oil (£9), fresh Qin-Chilli Sauce (£10.99), and a £28 box set of all three.
When asked about the name of the brand, Yuan explained that it derived from a combination of the two words ‘nourish’ and ‘right’, to show the brand’s mission of “bringing the right nourishment to customers, instead of excessive heat”.
“This was the initial concept of building a brand that can deliver both nourishment and flavour,” says Yuan. “For example, the Yo Po Chilli is 100 per cent natural with no additives at all.”
It is also the story a young brand built on love. Yuan established the company to bring Rina the best Chinese chilli condiment when the couple relocated to the UK to allow Rina to pursue her MBA degree at the University of Cambridge. Yuan “visited many places in China to select the ingredients and tested many recipes to make sure the range is genuinely authentic”.
They were joined by Luna Ham, who knew Rina because they had both been on the same Cambridge MBA course.
Luna is also originally from China and arrived in Cambridge to pursue her MBA last September.
“Prior to this,” she says, “I spent a decade as a marketer for a Chinese auto company, with seven years abroad.
“A mid-life crisis in 2023 led me to reevaluate my life, ultimately bringing me to the UK for further studies. I absolutely loved my time in Cambridge; never had I experienced such significant personal growth and liberation.
“Post-MBA, I’ve made a pivotal decision to pursue entrepreneurship and joined RishRight, a start-up dedicated to introducing the finest Chinese chilli condiment to the UK market. Rina was my Cambridge MBA classmate and is a close friend of mine. Yuan is a serial entrepreneur.”
Yuan says: “Our mission extends beyond just selling condiments. We have selected the highest quality ingredients to guarantee both nutrition and flavour while sharing Chinese culture and heritage through our products.
“Recently, we’ve been actively attending food shows all over the UK. Wherever we went, customers absolutely loved us, exclaiming that they’ve never tried anything like this before. The flavour of our product is incredibly authentic and has received rave reviews wherever we’ve showcased it.
“We also have a stall at the Cambridge market every Thursday, where several Cambridge MBA students, our first customers who are obsessed with RishRight, come to help with sales.
“For us, RishRight is more than a business; it has become a place that binds us and our friends closer, helping us meet incredible people in Cambridge and giving us a sense of belonging and home.”
Luna adds: “Last week, we collaborated with Jack’s Gelato on a spicy gelato flavour, which sold out in half a day!”
