Slainte Sauces
Member Spotlight
A cry of ‘slàinte’ may more typically be followed by the clicking of glasses, but in entrepreneur Mairi Hawkes’ household, the salutation often accompanies a bowl of comforting crumble or even a decadent cheese plate.
From her small commercial kitchen in Oban, Mairi crafts her range of alcohol-infused Sláinte Sauces, which are available in a range of unique and indulgent flavours, from Scottish favourites like cranachan and clootie dumpling to savoury classics such as whisky with lemon and chilli.
Born “almost by accident”, Mairi launched Slàinte Sauces during lockdown, and has since grown the business “slowly and leanly” via local markets, online sales, and around 30 Scottish independent outlets, as well as gift shops in Historic Environment Scotland castles, and the National Galleries of Scotland.
“Moving back from Australia to my island home, everything was ticking along nicely – and then Covid disrupted everything, including my career,” explained Mairi, who grew up on the tiny Isle of Lismore.
“My husband, who had been working in Sydney’s shipyards, suddenly found himself on my late father’s oyster farm, which is nestled in Loch Linnhe. That unexpected shift gave us the chance to revisit an idea I had considered before, which was making fresh oysters more appealing to newbies by pairing them with booze.
“I then realised we needed an alcohol-infused sauce that was versatile, not just for oysters, but for burgers, salmon, chicken, salads, and even desserts. Our first trial was at the local Lismore Agricultural Show, which sparked a pivot from oyster sauces to dessert sauces, and Slàinte Sauces was born almost by accident.”
Learning quickly and rising to every challenge, Mairi’s fledgling business has gone from strength to strength, and milestones have included winning #SBS (Small Business Sunday) and meeting businessman Theo Paphitis in 2022, visiting 10 Downing Street with Small Business Britain, as part of a delegate of 20 businesses, collaborating with iconic television series Still Game to make whisky sauces, and even appearing on Channel 4’s Aldis Next Big Thing competition.
What’s more, her sauces have garnered a range of coveted awards, including a bronze award at Scotland’s Trade Fair 2022.
“Anyone who starts a food business quickly discovers how challenging it can be, and adding island living into the mix makes it even tougher,” added Mairi. “On top of that, I was creating something fairly unique that didn’t fit neatly into any category, and had no budget for marketing or branding.
“The fact that Slàinte Sauces is not only surviving but beginning to thrive and become a recognisable brand is something I’m truly proud of. I’m especially grateful to the stockists who took a chance on me in those early days.”
Looking ahead, Mairi’s growth goals include being stocked by the National Trust, more distillery shops, hamper companies, and festive season garden centres. Having begun exporting to the USA last year, she is also keen to explore overseas markets such as Japan and China, as well as opportunities to produce environmentally friendly miniature bottles for airlines.
To support this growth, Mairi plans to increase the size of her commercial kitchen, and work towards SALSA accreditation.
Having joined Scotland Food & Drink in June 2025, Mairi has found the networking opportunities to be one of the most valuable benefits of membership.
She said: “I don’t think people realise how valuable Scotland Food & Drink’s networking opportunities are, especially when you’re rural or from an island where there’s nobody nearby to ask or discuss things with. From a recent event in Stirling, I came away with new connections, an amazing new stockist, and invaluable advice about production. I’m really looking forward to what the next 12 months will bring.”
