where is pataks made

Patak’s

The face was, of course, Meena herself. She appeared in roadshows and demonstrations, indefatigably, all over the globe. “I think every other year I was pregnant for the first five years, while we were expanding. But I was determined to break into virgin markets like Australia, and develop it from nothing to owning a 70 per cent share.”

Her mother, she says, was “a wonderful cook” but she didn’t acquire her passion for food from her mum. “In the family house in Mumbai, where I lived for ten months of the year, the cook was a male chef called Maharaj. He was a strict Brahmin – so strict, he wouldn’t let anyone enter the kitchen unless they’d had a shower. By the age of ten or eleven, I was in love with food. I was the only member of the family allowed to help the chef. Because he realised how passionate I was about food, he gradually imparted some recipes to me; then he started relying on me to finish off the meals.” She beams at the memory. “That was where I learnt to multitask in the kitchen, and work fast, because you were feeding a large family, starting with chapattis and rotis, and everything had to be hot and served fresh.”

Anjali Pathak has indeed put a lot of younger-generation muscle into the company. She co-edited her mother’s most recent cookbook, Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking, in 2007, and has taken to fronting Patak’s roadshows and advising about the growing interest in healthy Indian eating. It takes the pressure off Meena’s schedule a bit – she’s going back to Mumbai to recuperate from her broken hip. At 52, with a multi-million-pound fortune in the bank and an OBE as part of her costume jewellery, Meena Pathak could take it easy for a while, but it doesn’t sound like she will. She’s planning to be back soon, marketing a special new brand that bears her name. “We’ve already finished all the work on the Meena brand,” she says, referring to her range of premium Patak’s sauces targeted at the younger consumer. “Under the Meena brand I’ll be able to educate the people I always wanted to educate,” she says, “to move away from the madrases and the tandooris which they’ve had for so long and move on.”

What kind of reception did they find up north? “Everyone was very friendly, actually. But there was no Indian community at all. No Indians to work on the shop floor. There were five employees, two being my husband and me, with three others to get the factory going. Gradually, we started employing more staff and that’s where we stayed for 15 years. It helped that people were finding India fascinating as a country, and the actress Madhur Jaffrey was appearing on BBC as the face of India cuisine.” The importance of a company face is not lost on Meena. Ask her how Patak’s foods came to eclipse Sharwood’s, its main rival in mass-produced Indian food, and she says: “A real plus point was that we had someone as a face behind the brand – someone to see and speak to, while the others were anonymous multinationals.”

Her accident hasn’t slowed down her shedule of commitments. Tomorrow she will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton. For services to food, or to cultural understanding? “Well,” she says sleekly, “I was maybe a little helpful in turning the college into a university. Maybe a bit of a catalyst. They gave me an honorary fellowship before, and I used to help them out whenever I could.” What exactly does she mean by helpful? Did she endow a library or something? “Oh no,” she says vaguely. “I just gave them some of my time and advice whenever I could.” She’s clearly fond, in her queenly way, of her adopted town where the bigwigs help each other out as neighbours do in India. “Bolton’s famous for producing some remarkable families,” she says proudly. “The Lever brothers, for instance, who founded Unilever, came from Bolton, and so do Warburtons, the bakers. Their factory and headquarters are still just up the road. This little town is quite famous for many things, actually.” Among which are the Pathaks, and the Indian sauce range that bears their name minus the middle ‘h’, for ease of customer pronunciation.

George Weston, chief executive of ABF, said: “We are privileged to be able to acquire as fine a business as Pataks. We look forward to working with Kirit and Meena Pathak to build this business further.”

ABF, which also owns the Primark discount fashion chain, said the business will fit well with its existing “world food” brands, which include the oriental brand, Blue Dragon.

Dubbed Spice Wars, the row ended with Kirit Pathak agreeing to hand over shares thought to have been worth £9m to his two younger sisters, after they claimed they were cheated of their rightful inheritance.

Mr Pathak said ABF was “the ideal strategic partner” for the brand and the deal will help the company “realise its full global potential as the reference Indian food brand”.

Its Westmill Foods is the largest supplier to the ethnic wholesale trade with a stable of brands including Pride Oil, Tolly Boy rice, Rajah spices and Lucky Boat noodles.

History of the Pataks brand

FAQ

Where are Patak’s products made?

Why did Patak’s change their name?

Is Patak’s authentic?

How long does Patak’s curry sauce last once opened?

What is patak’s ®?

Get inspired by Patak’s ® and enjoy your home cooking experience. Our delicious range of Indian simmer sauces make it incredibly simple to cook your favorite curry at home. Inspired by the most popular Indian Dishes! A quick dinner, easy lunch or delicious side meal. Patak’s ® helps you make an authentic, flavorful meal in 3 easy steps.

How did patak’s grow?

The business grew. New shops and factories were opened, and new lines and products were developed. Today Patak’s (the ‘h’ was removed to make pronunciation easier) employs 700-or-so people worldwide and exports to over 40 countries. Which is a long way from its humble beginnings.

Who owns patak’s?

Patak’s is run by husband and wife team Kirit and Meena Pathak – the “h” in the family name was dropped to make it easier for the English to pronounce – and their three children, daughter Anjali and sons Nayan and Neeraj, also work in the business.

How many people are at patak’s?

Today Patak’s (the ‘h’ was removed to make pronunciation easier) employs 700-or-so people worldwide and exports to over 40 countries. Which is a long way from its humble beginnings. This amazing journey is recorded in a small room just off the main lobby in Patak’s state-of-the-art production unit in Leigh, Lancs.