Meet the family

  • Rafi Fernandez (1965-2013)

    Rafi became an expert in Indian and Malaysian cooking through her and her husband's combined heritage and may travels around the world. She wrote a number of cookbooks and taught many classes to people in her local community. Her love of cooking and of sharing her knowledge was obvious to all who met her, as many of our customers and staff still fondly remember.

  • Kevin Fernandez

    Rafi’s son, Kevin joined in 2004 when the York shop opened, although he remembers the day the family were stacking shelves in the first shop in Sudbury. Kevin has inherited his mum's passion for cooking and teaching people about Indian food. Kevin now manages the business, nurturing his mother's legacy and sharing his passion for great food.

  • Lee Fernandez

    Lee is Rafi's youngest son and worked closely with Rafi since 1998. Lee's culinary creativity and Indian food knowledge has been a driving force behind many of our recipes.
    He now spends his time travelling and immersing himself in local food cultures.

Our Story

Rafi Fernandez was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. She moved to England aged 21 in 1965, marrying her Malaysian childhood pen-pal shortly afterwards.

Through their combined heritage and many travels around the world, Rafi became an expert in Indian and Malaysian cooking. She wrote a number of cookbooks and taught many classes to people in her local community.

In 1989, she made the brave decision to open her own Asian delicatessen, perhaps not the kind of shop one would expect to find in a quaint town in rural Suffolk! This was done with the help of Rafi’s second husband, Den. Rafi was a determined and passionate lady, and her shop is still there today; a testament to her hard work and unforgettable personality.

It all started with Rafi writing out tailored recipes and cooking advice for customers and from this personal service, our Curry Packs were born. The tailored recipes and personal service are at the foundation of what we do, making Hand-made Curry Packs that are blended to your tastes.

Rafi’s sons, Kevin and Lee have both been vital ingredients in the development of our beloved Rafi’s Spicebox. Lee started working with his mum in 1998 where his passion and creativity helped our business blossom. Kevin joined in 2004 when the York shop opened, although he remembers the day the family were stacking shelves in the first shop in Sudbury.

With both Kevin and Lee on board, the Spicebox really began to modernise and grow into the wonder it has become today. Visit Our Shops page to see where your closest Rafi’s is.

Kevin now manages the business, nurturing his mother's legacy and sharing his passion for great food.

Rafi sadly passed away in 2013, but her memory lives on as an integral part of our business. Her love of cooking and of sharing her knowledge was obvious to all who met her, as many of our customers and staff still fondly remember.