DIY Curry kit proves to be a hot tip for dieters

Curries and diets don't normally feature in the same sentence.

But Sally Hares is changing attitudes to the normally rich fare thanks to her DIY curry kits which are being recommended by leading slimming groups.

The Walsall mother-of-three got the brainwave for her business after putting bags of ingredients together to encourage her friends to cook. Now she's at the helm of a food firm attracting interest from all over the country.

The kits, except the fish and korma varieties, are zero points on the WeightWatchers plan and on Slimming World's weight loss programme they are free of 'syns'.

This is good news for dieters struggling to stay on track and Sally says it has led to her attracting two high-profile investors to her business Hare's Moor. These are Louise Neilson, who has worked with the Hairy Bikers and big names such as Marmite, Cadbury and Dorset Cereals, and Patrick Horton who has helped McCoys, Organix Babyfood and McVities.

"It is a dream come true to have Louise and Patrick onboard as they have a track record of making things succeed in their millions," says Sally, who lives in The Butts.

"We have now got a huge Slimming World following across the country and every day more WeightWatchers members are getting in contact with us." The 47-year-old worked at a school for 10 years before losing her job three years ago.

However, this gave Sally the chance to start her own business. The stylish brown paper packages are filled with ginger, chilli, garlic and a secret blend of spices.

Once she realised the kits would sell Sally moved into her premises on John Street in Walsall. She works with her daughter Stef and friend Sue Cowley, who she has known since she was four-years-old.

Claire Baker, aged 34, a leader at seven Weight Watchers groups across Walsall, Bentley, Burntwood and Brownhills said: "I do a lot of cooking from scratch as using fresh ingredients makes a big difference to your diet."