'It has been an amazing journey': Founder of Curry Sauce NI retires after years of flavour and friendship saying one last goodbye on her final trading day
Currywoman Lilian Kennedy to steps down — but loyal fans needn’t worry. Curry Sauce NI lives on under new management, keeping the tikka fix flowing
It was a bittersweet korma-tion at Coleraine’s Causeway Speciality Market as one of its longest standing stallholders turned down the heat one final time, trading in her apron for a well-earned retirement.
Fans of her flavour-packed, cook-at-home curry sauces gathered in naan-stop numbers to say goodbye to Lilian Kennedy of Curry Sauce NI. From India to Malaysia, Lilian’s sauces have brought global taste to local plates over the years — and it’s safe to say, she’s truly been the simmering heart of the market.
"It has been an amazing journey," Lilian said at her final trading day. "Coleraine has been so, so good to me. It's my best market. I've made lovely friends, traders and the locals here. They've been so, so supportive."
Lilian’s journey with the market has been nothing short of a spicy success: "We started off with what, 25 traders, and now we're up to over 50 traders, and the standards – all artisan quality – is amazing, and the support for the markets has grown."
She continued: "The quality and the community...the quality of the traders that you have in the market. It's such a great market to come to. You've got 50 stalls, and everything's covered – craft, lovely foods, everything."
While her retirement may mean the end of an era, Northern Ireland customers won’t be left hungry for more. Curry Sauce NI will continue under new management, ensuring that loyal fans can still get their tikka fix.
The market community, including Catrina McNeill from Council’s Town and Village Management team gathered to wish Lilian all the best and thank her for her years of service to the market.
Catrina continued: “Thank you to Lillian for her years of participation in our market, we will all miss her and hope she has a lovely retirement.”
Saying one last goodbye, Lillian added: "I'd just like to finish by saying thank you very much for Coleraine and all my colleagues here, the traders in Coleraine; I wish them all the best for 2025, and I'll be up to support them."
The award-winning Causeway Speciality Market operates at the Diamond at Coleraine Town Hall on the second Saturday of the month and
Over 50 artisan traders offer a fantastic range of locally produced items from pictures, and jewellery to artisan food products.