ABF buys up curry firm Patak's

The family behind Patak’s - supplier to an estimated 75% of Britain’s Indian restaurants - today sold the company to Associated British Foods (ABF).

The deal for an undisclosed sum comes after the Pathak family, which founded the curry paste and chutney maker in 1957, appointed investment bank NM Rothschild to look at options for growing the business in March.

Under today’s deal ABF will take on the entire Patak’s business except its operations in India and ownership of the Patak’s brand.

The company, which is thought to be worth around £200m (€295m), is 100% owned by the Pathak family, with around half its 650 staff employed at a state-of-the-art factory at near Wigan in England. It also sells through major retailers and makes own-brand products for supermarket chains including Tesco,

ABF plans to combine the Patak’s brand with its existing world foods operation, which includes the oriental Blue Dragon line.

The company said the move would create a “leading position” in the UK for the retailing and wholesale of its world foods. It added that its presence outside the UK would provide a foundation to drive Patak’s international growth.