Adun Spice Company

Meet Owner Ramat Wiley

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, entrepreneur Ramat Wiley is bringing a whole lot of spice to Shaker Heights by way of her business, Adun Spice Company, which opened in February in the Van Aken District Market Hall. Ramat had been working as a chef and food stylist before the pandemic, which, of course, slowed considerably; as a result, she decided to pivot and start her own business to celebrate the spices she loved. The flavors she started with were inspired by her cooking habits - a citrus-garlic blend, inspired by her great-grandmother who grew garlic. Ramat shared that she and her great-grandmother “would sit on her front porch and eat cloves of garlic on bread. Garlic is one of my favorite flavors.”

Unlike many store-bought spices, Ramat’s offerings include salt-free options for those with low-sodium diets. That said, one of her top sellers is smoked sea salt, which happens to be sold out at the moment. She also avoids artificial ingredients when sourcing her spices, and ensures she purchases products from equitable sources. Ramat doesn’t sell spices containing ingredients that include things she can’t pronounce – all ingredients must be a natural derivative. If you are looking for a customer favorite to try, check out her Golden Milk blend – it is a turmeric and cinnamon delight for the senses!

Beyond just selling spices, Ramat is committed to giving back to the Cleveland community - Adun shares a portion of their sales each month in the form of donations to local food charities, families in need of food directly and also helps uplift other culinary entrepreneurs. For example, Ramat just supported Cory Community Center’s food pantry program by contributing to Yellow House Cheese’s farm, who provides fresh produce and meat to the Center. Ramat has also given to Tri-C's Shared Meals program which provides meals for students. "If you're hungry, you can’t study. Students are skipping meals because they can’t afford to eat on campus. This program helps with that,” notes Ramat.

As a graduate of Tri-C’s Hospitality Management program with a concentration in the Culinary Arts, she’s been there and wants to help. Ramat also spent six years working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, so she knows how life can turn quickly. Plus, her mother was a social worker, so being a helper is engrained in her being. Another way that Ramat is supporting community efforts is by sharing her in-kind culinary skills. On June 4, she will be cooking at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center/s annual Nature at Night fundraiser.

While giving back is important, Ramat knew that to do it well, she needed a business plan. She sought the counsel of the Cleveland State University Small Business Development Center. For her, it was really important to “get it down on paper and out of [her] head.” Not only did the process of writing the business plan do that, but she was also able to tap into unused skills from her past – she had gone to school for accounting – something every business needs to be familiar with. Ramat is truly poised for success.

Beyond her new brick-and-mortar location, Ramat will be selling her products online soon through the Adun website, and is actively growing her wholesale business. Fellow business owners, if you are looking to source spices, you now know who to call - Ramat would love to hear from you.

To be in the know about happenings at Adun Spice Company, visit the Adun website to sign up for the newsletter and follow them on Instagram and Facebook. And of course, the next time you are in need of spices, think of Adun first, where you will find fresh and innovative flavors from a local!