The Beginning

L.G. Pathak was born in 1925 in an Indian state called Gujurat, where his family just about got by farming. When his father died the family moved to Kenya to search for a better life. And they found one, opening a shop selling Indian sweets to other families who missed the taste of home.

The Big Move

In 1956, L.G. upped sticks again and set sail with his family for Britain. They arrived here in the middle of a freezing November with just 5 to their name. But it wasn’t just the weather that as harsh. Work was very hard to come by for L.G.

Business Begins

His wife Shanta wondered if the business they had in Kenya of making Indian sweets and snacks could work in Britain. She set to work in their tiny family kitchen in Kentish Town and, soon enough, word spread. To the point where lines would form outside their front door! It wasn’t long before their 10-year-old-son, Kirit, was making deliveries all over London.

First Shop Opens

After a couple of years, they opened a small shop behind Euston Station selling all kind of Indian groceries. And it really took off, mostly because the Pathaks only sourced the best quality foodstuffs they could find.

The Eureka Moment

The real turning point of Mr and Mrs Patak though (we decided to drop the ‘h’ as it sometimes confused people) was when they once ordered too many vegetables and L.G. decided to pickle the extras. It was a bit of a eureka moment, really. Because coupled with freshly ground spices he preserved in oil, they were able to create spice pastes that gave the authentic taste of India.

A Turning Point

When Kirit grew up and took over from his dad, his wife, Meena, came up with the notion of producing sauces that would make making a curry simple for people with little time to cook from scratch. And the rest, as they say, is history. Our history.

Patak’s Today

Long a household name in the UK, Patak’s has grown to become an internationally successful brand. Our award-winning products make it easy for restaurants everywhere to prepare authentic and flavourful Indian dishes for their customers.

Today, Patak’s has over 600 employees and is the #1 Indian food brand in Canada.