Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Barbara Wouhra, wife of East End Foods founder Tony Wouhra, passes away

In 1967, she became one of the first English women to marry at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick

Barbara Wouhra, wife of East End Foods founder Tony Wouhra, passes away

Barbara Wouhra/LinkedIn

THE Wouhra family has announced the sad demise of Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of East End Foods co-founder Tony Deep Wouhra and an influential figure in the early days of the business.

Surrounded by her family, she passed away peacefully on Christmas Day, 25 December, at the age of 79, following a year-long battle with lymphoma. She has three children, daughter Nina and sons Paul and Roger.


Her role in the success of the company, which has become one of the UK's leading food wholesalers, cannot be overstated. In a heartfelt tribute posted on LinkedIn on Thursday (26), Roger shared the deep impact his mother had on the family business.

“My mother was pivotal in shaping my father as a future businessman. They met in the early 1960s when my father, an immigrant with £3 who came to the UK looking for work. It was my mother who introduced my father to Pat Austin who had a farm with 800 hens which provided him with stock to sell eggs door to door. He didn’t look back and after that East End Foods was born in the early 1970s,” Roger wrote.

Tony established the East End Foods spice manufacturing company in Wolverhampton in 1972. His mother was an integral part of the business in its early days, Roger said, helping her husband with various tasks, from chopping chickens to managing tills at their cash and carry stores.

Tony’s four brothers joined the business, and East End Foods would become one of the leading suppliers of Asian food to the UK and Europe. In 2019, the family sold the business to private equity firm Exponent.

Roger also reflected on his mother’s role beyond the business, highlighting her dedication to family life. “They say behind every successful man is a great woman, and that she truly was. What we all forget when we see people’s success stories is the other half who have supported and stuck by those who sacrificed family life and worked long hours… bringing up the children single handedly,” he shared.

Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…

Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…www.linkedin.com

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother, Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of previous Chairman and Co-Founder of East End Foods plc, Dr… | 330 comments on LinkedIn

In addition to her business contributions, Barbara was also a trailblazer in her personal life. In 1967, she became one of the first English women to marry at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, breaking new ground at a time when interfaith marriages were rare.

In his post, Roger also expressed gratitude for the support his family received from the nurses of the charity Marie Curie, which provides specialist care for people with terminal illnesses.

“I would like to thank the Marie Curie nurses who looked after my mother in her final weeks. They really need support to keep the service going,” he said.

More For You

Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. (Representational image: iStock)

Woman raped in racially aggravated attack in Oldbury

A WOMAN in her 20s was raped in Oldbury in what police are treating as a racially aggravated attack.

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. Officers said the men made a racist remark during the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tommy Robinson

The event, which Robinson has promoted for months, is being billed by him as the 'UK's biggest free speech festival.' (Photo: Getty Images)

London prepares for rival demonstrations, police deploy 1,600 officers

Highlights

  • More than 1,600 officers deployed across London on Saturday
  • Far-right activist Tommy Robinson to lead "Unite the Kingdom" march
  • Anti-racism groups to stage counter-protests in Whitehall
  • Police impose conditions on routes and timings of demonstrations

LONDON police will deploy more than 1,600 officers across the city on Saturday as rival demonstrations take place, including a rally organised by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, and a counter-protest by anti-racism campaigners.

Keep ReadingShow less
Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mandelson-Getty

Starmer dismissed Mandelson on Thursday after reading emails published by Bloomberg in which Mandelson defended Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Minister says Mandelson should never have been appointed

A CABINET minister has said Peter Mandelson should not have been made UK ambassador to the US, as criticism mounted over prime minister Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, told the BBC that Mandelson’s appointment was seen as “high-risk, high-reward” but that newly revealed emails changed the situation.

Keep ReadingShow less