KING CHARLES invited Sir Anwar Pervez, founder and emeritus chairman of the Bestway group, for take tea with him at Royal Ascot last Friday (20) to mark the latter’s 90th birthday. “
He gave me a card and a gift,” Sir Anwar told Eastern Eye afterwards.
The invitation came shortly after King Charles and Queen Camilla had taken part in the traditional royal procession ahead of an afternoon of races at Royal Ascot.
Sir Anwar made the short journey to the Royal Enclosure from the Pavilion restaurant, where the Bestway group was holding its 32nd annual charity day at Royal Ascot. His journey since arriving from Pakistan as a 21-year-old in 1956 has been far more eventful. He recalls the flight he took nearly 70 years ago.
Sir Anwar cutting the cake during Bestway group’s 32nd annual charity day last Friday (20)
“I came by Qantas Airways – took me 24 hours, Super Constellation or something,” Sir Anwar recalled. “There were many stops. I remember Aden, Rome, and Heathrow, which had a lot of sheds.”
His destination was not London. “My cousin was living in Bradford, so I took the bus to Victoria, and from Victoria, I took the taxi to go to King’s Cross, and from there I took the train to Bradford.”
For a number of years, he worked on the buses as a conductor and then a driver – he says they were among his most carefree days – saved up enough to open his first cornershop, Kashmir Store, in Earl’s Court, London, in 1963, and established Bestway in Victoria Road, Acton, in 1976 with the purchase of his first wholesale depot.
King Charles and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot
Guests were welcomed last week by Sir Anwar’s nephew and Bestway’s chairman, Lord Zameer Choudrey, who said: “2025 is a very special year for us, as we mark Bestway group’s golden jubilee. And more importantly, we celebrate our founder’s 90th birthday.”
Sir Anwar was born in Ambala in pre-partition India on March 15, 1935, though he himself admits he is not sure that really was the date of his birth.
Lord Choudrey remarked: “We have come a long way since 1976, when Sir Anwar and his partner established the Bestway group. Since then, the group has grown into a diversified global organisation that employs more than 47,000 people and, last year, recorded revenues of £4.9 billion with a profit before tax (PBT) of £455 million.
“I’ve had a front row seat to Bestway and Sir Anwar’s remarkable journey. His relentless desire for progress has been instrumental in making the Bestway group the largest independent wholesaler in the UK, the second largest retail pharmacy in the UK, the largest cement manufacturer in Pakistan, and the largest private bank in Pakistan.”
Lord Tariq Ahmad
He said Sir Anwar’s life and incredible achievements were reflected in the saying, “To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has achieved, but what he aspires to.”
Lord Choudrey requested guests to drink a loyal toast to the King’s “health and long life”.
He added that this year’s Bestway charity day aimed to raise funds for the British Asian Trust (BAT), a cause known to be close to the King’s heart.
“They reflect our core value and belief in improving social mobility for the most disadvantaged segments of society,” Lord Choudrey said.
Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Lord Zameer Choudrey
Last year, Bestway’s charity day at Royal Ascot raised £100,000 for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
He went on: “We have been associated with BAT since 2013. The British Asian Trust was established in 2007 by His Majesty King Charles.”
He described it as “a diaspora-led charity”, which offered “high quality programmes across south Asia with the aim of uplifting marginalised communities”.
His appeal for guests to make generous donations to the British Asian Trust was echoed by its chief executive, Richard Hawkes, who said: “I’m absolutely delighted to join you all here today at Royal Ascot. Let me begin by saying how absolutely grateful we are to everyone at the Bestway group for choosing us to be your charity partner, and for the support that you’ve given the charity for so many years.”
He continued: “Today is an occasion maybe made even more special by the fact that this year marks Bestway’s 50th anniversary, and we have just celebrated the 90th birthday of the Bestway founder, Sir Anwar Pe r v e z .” H e spoke of Sir A n w a r ’ s achieve - ments since moving to the UK from Pakistan in the 1 9 5 0 s . “ T h o s e achieve - ments are quite rem a r k a b l e , and a real inspiration to all of us in this room today. Aside from building a business empire, you were ahead of the curve when it came to recognising the role that business plays in helping local communities to thrive when you set up the Bestway Foundation back in 1987.
“I’m not sure that the term corporate social responsibility even existed, but you led by example, making significant contributions to health and education, which have had an enormous impact on people in the UK and around the world.
“For those of you who may not be as familiar with our charity as Sir Anwar, Lord Choudrey and other members of the family and the Bestway community, we were created by His Majesty the King, together with a group of British Asian business leaders and entrepreneurs, to address inequality across south Asia.
“The idea was to make a life changing difference to vulnerable communities in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, by galvanising the support of the British Asian community and the wider British community here in the UK.
“During my time with the trust, it’s been my absolute privilege to have had the support, the guidance and advice from Lord Choudrey, in particular. Zameer joined its UK Advisory Council in 2013 and became chair a few years later. I benefited from the invaluable advice that he gives, which has helped our charity succeed and grow and have a positive impact on the lives of more than 30 million people.”
Guests at the Pavilion restaurant
Guests included Lord Jitesh Gadhia, the current chairman of the trust, and former foreign office minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad.
Hawkes said: “The British Asian Trust started off as a small initiative, which has grown into a groundbreaking charity, running programmes across the whole of south Asia, delivering quality education, protecting children who are vulnerable to being trafficked, creating meaningful jobs, especially for women and girls, and supporting good quality mental health. I ask you all today to give generously to a cause that has been so close to Sir Anwar, Zameer and the Bestway group and their family to help us to help others.”
It is no longer unusual for Asian men, especially Bestway guests, to wear morning dress with top hats and women hats or fascinators to Royal Ascot.
In the official racecard, King Charles and Queen Camilla write: “This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first Royal Procession to Ascot Racecourse from Windsor Castle in the reign of King George IV. It has since become a familiar feature of the Royal Meeting and a unique spectacle in the world of racing.”
They add, in reference to Queen Camilla’s initiative to promote the joy of reading: “This year, The Queen’s Reading Room will be present at Royal Ascot for the first time, and we do hope the installation will interest those who visit – and that the delights of reading might even enhance the pleasures of riding…
