She’s in a pickle, but it’s a good one
Caryl-Ann Parathyras of Spitiko setting the town on fire with her range of spicy condiments
Caryl-Ann Parathyras, of Spitiko, has been creating homemade sauces, relishes and pickled concoctions since 2021.
Her fiery products have become a firm favourite among East Londoners — especially for those who don’t mind the heat.
And while this venture came about later in life for Parathyras, she is no stranger to the kitchen.
“Spitiko began only after I was retrenched from a 30-year career with SAA,” she said.
Parathyras has always had a thing for pickles.
“In fact, I loved them so much that ‘Pickles’ became my nickname. My mom taught me to make pickles when I was very young.
“Some of the recipes I use today are very old, family-tried, tweaked and tested.
“My new recipes are inspired and created from my travels around the globe.”
From her signature red bell pepper and Thai chilli sauce to jalapeño relish, which happens to be a great addition to burgers, wraps and boerewors rolls, and her popular Cowboy Candy (pickled jalapeños with a perfect balance of sweet and spicy), Parathyras makes everything from scratch using only the freshest produce.
Curried green beans, chillies, pineapple relish, pickled cucumbers, pickled onions, olives, and olive tapenade are also some of her Spitiko specialities.
Every product is preservativefree.
“My mom makes amazing chicken liver pate, basil pesto and sundried tomato pesto, so these are also on the list of Spitiko deliciousness.
“You may also find Spitiko having pickled fish, apricot jam, peach jam and drunken fig preserve available, depending on the season.”
Putting a lot of passion into every part of her business, from the products to the label, Parathyras has created a brand with a lot of heart.
“Spitiko means home-grown or homemade in Greek, so that’s why I chose it,” she said. “Everything is homemade with fresh ingredients.
“I created my label too and each part has a meaning. The skull is a celebration of my love for all that grows in the Earth.
“The butterflies honour my grandparents ... [and] also symbolise bravery, hope and freedom.”
She said she loved creating tasty products, but there were challenges.
“Supporting local is very important for me, so the most challenging thing is to always get fresh produce.
“I want to give a big shout out to Sanans in Cambridge for supplying fresh produce for my pickles and sauces all the time.”
Asked to pick a favourite recipe, Parathyras said it would be impossible.
“I love making every one of my sauces, relishes and pickles.
“I want to create products that excite customers. I want their eyes to light up when they taste my products. I want it to feel like there is a party going on in their mouth.”
She said the most rewarding thing was making customers happy.
“Creating products that customers love and having those customers coming back for more is the best. And of course finding new customers and having my products tantalise their taste buds.”
To find out more, visit the Spitiko East London Facebook page.