Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘Trailblazer who achieved his audacious brand vision’

‘Trailblazer who achieved his audacious brand vision’

By Kalpesh Solanki and Shailesh Solanki

FEW entrepreneurs have left their imprint on Britain as Kirit Pathak.


A pioneer with a bold vision to ‘be on every plate in the world’, he revolutionised Britain’s cu­linary habits by making the Patak’s brand a main­stay of every curry-loving household.

From humble beginnings, Kiritbhai transformed his father’s modest Indian food business to be­come one of the country’s biggest food brands.

In the mid-1960s, Kiritbhai’s father Lakhubhai and our father Ramniklal Solanki were contempo­raries who shared a love of literature and Indian culture. Lakhubhai encouraged our father to start Garavi Gujarat and the first issue of the paper carried a Patak’s advert.

Our father often told the story of Lakhubhai coming to our small terraced house in north Wembley, London, when the first issue was launched on April 1, 1968. Encouraging him to persevere with the endeavour, Lakhubhai reas­sured our father of his full support.

Our father never forgot that early backing and it was the start of a friendship that would endure for six decades and through three generations.

Kiritbhai was a pioneer and trailblazer in his own right. His vision to have his products on every supermarket shelf and on every plate required a missionary zeal, untold ingenuity and acute en­trepreneurial flair. Kiritbhai possessed these qualities in abundance.

With his wife Meenaben, they recruited profes­sional managers, introduced ISO 9000 standards in all areas of the production process and re­branded Patak’s to appeal to a broader audience. The results were startling and Patak’s became the first Asian brand to hold the accolade of Britain’s fastest-growing food brand for two consecutive years in 1993 and 1994.

With slick marketing and innovation that en­abled Britons to prepare and enjoy high-quality Indian food in their own kitchens, the Patak’s brand continued its relentless growth in both the UK and the world over.

Despite this enormous success Kiritbhai re­tained personal attention to sourcing the highest quality ingredients. It was a finely honed skill he developed over the years and one he, no doubt, inherited from his father.

As publishers of Asian Trader, the leading mag­azine for the grocery industry, we have had a ring­side seat witnessing the battle between major brands for supremacy in the supermarket sector. It is dominated by some of the world’s biggest food groups, but only two south Asian players broke through into the mainstream in those early days and both are pioneers in their own right – Patak’s and Tilda Rice.

It was a matter of great pride for us to chronicle this remarkable success in our titles, and it is a testament to Kiritbhai’s tenacity in realising his audacious vision.

When he sold the business to Associated British Foods, he did so with a heavy heart, but in the knowledge that they would be good custodians and adhere to the values of the Patak’s brand.

The sale of the Patak’s business in 2007 was again a pioneering step. He was one of the first Asian entrepreneurs to exit his business at the height of the market and it was a formula that has now been followed by many others.

Kiritbhai never forgot his roots and was a regu­lar attendee at the Asian Trader Awards which cel­ebrate the success of Asian retailers. He often re­marked that he loved that large British companies gathered to pay tribute to the Asian community and our contribution to the grocery sector.

He was a deeply spiritual man and often spoke to us about his early morning meditation and dai­ly recitals of the Bhagavad Gita which sometimes ran late into the evening. Kiritbhai not only shared his wisdom like an elder brother but also sent us books to read.

His passing is a profound loss not just to the Pathak family but to all those who were fortunate enough to have been touched by his love and gen­erous spirit.

We pray that Kiritbhai’s divine soul rests in eternal peace.

More For You

Nottingham-attacks

Calocane killed university students Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, along with school caretaker Ian Coates, on 13 June 2023. (Photo: Getty Images)

Report finds Valdo Calocane rejected medication before Nottingham killings

AN INDEPENDENT investigation into the mental health care of Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June 2023, has found that he was not forced to take injectable antipsychotic medication because he disliked needles.

The full report was released by NHS England following pressure from the victims' families.

Keep ReadingShow less
aga-khan-reuters-lead

A long-time friend of the late Queen Elizabeth, Aga Khan IV was appointed KBE in 2004. (Photo: Reuters)

Aga Khan IV: Bridging faith, philanthropy, and development

HIS HIGHNESS Prince Karim al-Husseini, known as the Aga Khan, led the Ismaili Muslim community for nearly seven decades while building one of the world’s largest private development networks.

As the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam, he combined religious leadership with extensive philanthropic efforts across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, 43, has faced bipartisan concerns over her suitability for the role overseeing US intelligence agencies. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tulsi Gabbard moves closer to US intelligence chief role

TULSI GABBARD, former Democratic congresswoman and president Donald Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), has been approved by a key Senate committee in a private vote, moving her nomination forward to a full Senate vote.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Republicans, voted 9-8 along party lines to advance Gabbard’s nomination. A full Senate vote on her confirmation is expected as early as next week, according to the Washington Post.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aga-Khan-Getty

Over the years, the Aga Khan became both a prominent philanthropist and a business magnate, balancing religious leadership with global development work. (Photo: Getty Images)

Aga Khan, Ismaili Muslim leader and philanthropist, dies at 88

HIS HIGHNESS Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community and head of a vast philanthropic network, died on Tuesday at the age of 88.

His Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community announced that His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, the 49th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away in Portugal, surrounded by his family.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucy Letby

Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole-life sentences for the deaths of babies at neo-natal units in northwest England between 2015 and 2016.

Review launched into Lucy Letby case after experts challenge evidence

A REVIEW has been launched into the case of Lucy Letby, a nurse sentenced to life imprisonment for killing seven newborn babies, as medical experts argue there was no evidence to support her conviction.

Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole-life sentences for the deaths of babies at neo-natal units in northwest England between 2015 and 2016. She was convicted of murdering seven newborns and attempting to kill seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital, making her the most prolific child serial killer in modern UK history.

Keep ReadingShow less