About SpoonLab

We are on a mission to make authentic Chinese cooking accessible to every home kitchen. No specialty grocery runs, no guesswork — just great recipes that work with what you have, powered by a deep respect for tradition and a little bit of AI.

Our Story

SpoonLab started in a tiny London kitchen in 2024, when our founder Mei tried to cook mapo tofu for friends and discovered that her local supermarket carried exactly zero of the traditional ingredients. No doubanjiang, no Sichuan peppercorns, no Shaoxing wine. Instead of giving up, she started experimenting with substitutions — and realized that with the right swaps, the dish could still taste incredible.

That experiment turned into a spreadsheet, which turned into a blog, which turned into SpoonLab: an AI-powered recipe platform that automatically adapts authentic Chinese recipes to the ingredients you can actually buy. Today, tens of thousands of home cooks use SpoonLab to explore Chinese cuisine without the intimidation factor — cooking dishes their grandmothers would recognize, even if the supermarket aisles look nothing like a wet market in Chengdu.

Our Values

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Authenticity

We honor the real flavors, techniques, and traditions of Chinese cooking. No watered-down, westernized shortcuts — just the genuine article, explained clearly.

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Accessibility

Every recipe works with supermarket ingredients. Our AI swap engine finds the closest match for specialty items, so you never need a special trip to an Asian grocer.

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Innovation

SpoonLab is powered by AI that adapts traditional recipes to your kitchen, dietary needs, and available tools — without sacrificing what makes each dish special.

Meet the Team

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Mei Chen

Founder & Recipe Developer

Grew up in Chengdu, now cooks in a London flat with an induction hob. Believes great Chinese food should be possible anywhere.

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James Wright

Head of Technology

Former software engineer turned food nerd. Built the AI swap engine that makes SpoonLab recipes work with any supermarket ingredient list.

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Priya Kapoor

Content & Community

Food photographer and home cook who tests every recipe in a real home kitchen before it reaches you. Obsessed with dumpling folds.

Get in Touch

Have a question, a recipe suggestion, or just want to say hello? We would love to hear from you.