Now UK company sells samosas to Indians

Prasun Sonwalkar

London, Jan 21 (PTI) Call it food colonialism in reverse,but a British food manufacturer has started selling samosas inIndia, from where the delights of spicy dishes caught theimagination of the British palate 200 years ago.

Farsan, an Indian food company based in the east Midlandstown of Leicester, has opened a new factory in Gujarat toproduce snacks such as samosas and bhajis.

Leicester offers many delights of Indian vegetariancuisine.

The first Indian restaurant in Britain was opened by aPatna resident Sake Dean Mohammad in London in 1810.

He established the Hindoostan Coffee House at 34 GeorgeStreet, Portman Square.

Farsan managing director Nainesh Patel is in India on atwo-week tour to promote the new factory and market hisproducts to supermarket chains.

He said: "There''s huge potential for UK companies inIndia.

Although we are a UK company selling snack foods such assamosas to an Indian market, we give the product a Britishtwist so it has a unique taste for Indian customers.

Farsan is one of several firms which have strengthenedties with India with support from UK Trade and Investment(UKTI), and the move comes as Business Secretary Vince Cableleads a major business delegation to India.

Patel''s export ambitions ties in with growing evidencethat despite recession and immigration, the �3 billion Indianrestaurant industry continues to grow.

Britons'' continuing love affair with spicy curry hasensured that restaurants expand and ready-made Indian mealsfly off the shelves in supermarkets.

The overall number of people visiting Indian restaurantsis down, but industry figures show that entrepreneurs who haveswitched to supplying ready-made Indian meals have seen theirbusiness soar � and some are struggling to meet supermarketdemands.

Leicester-based Sanjay Foods has seen its turnover soarby 50 per cent to �1.5 million and has now formed apartnership with a London-based caterer Chak 89 after winningseveral prestigious contracts. (MORE)PTI PS