Food
2015: No.46 - £78m
2014: No.40= - £80m
The boss of Black Country food company Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands. One of six Deputy Lieutenants, he supports the work of the Lord-Lieutenant Paul Sabapathy, representing the Royal Family across the region.
It’s yet another honour for Tony Deep Wouhra MBE. Just over 40 years ago he and his brothers spotted a gap in the food market after the surge of immigration to the 海角视频 from the sub-continent in the 50s and 60s.
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Seeing growing demand and limited supply of ethnic food products, they set up East End Foods in Wolverhampton. They opened a small shop and began door-to-door delivery. The interest grew, as did the business.
The moved into wholesale, based in two units in Wolverhampton, guided by their father’s mantra – “never sell anything you wouldn’t eat yourself.”
The business moved into Birmingham in the 1970s, establishing a base in Highgate supplying Indian restaurants, stores and independent retailers. Today, East End Foods is one of the leading suppliers of Asian food in the 海角视频 and European markets. It employs around 325 staff at its base in Kenrick Way, West Bromwich, including 23 members of the Wourha family. The company turns over more than £160 million a year. In 2012/13 the company posted profits of £4.9 million.
East End Foods from around the globe and nearly every Asian supermarket or shop in the 海角视频 stocks the firm’s products.
Winners of the 2013 Asian Business of the Year award, East End Foods opened the largest rice mill in Europe in 2006 and has a distribution centre in Smethwick. The company has a philosophy of using the best raw materials and producing food in a sustainable way. The firm produces 75 per cent of its own energy requirements and has installed more than 600 solar panels on the roof of its new Aston Cross depot. The firm also has a huge cash and carry warehouse on the site of the former HP Sauce factory.
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East End Foods co-founded the Healthy Hearts Institute in co-operation with Sandwell and West Birmingham hospitals. The charity offers a free screening service and advice for diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disorders.
Tony Deep Wouhra came to the 海角视频 in 1961 from Delhi where he was a science student. He was just 18 and had never ventured outside the country before. He settled in Wolverhampton where he met his wife Barbara. In 2010 to ethnic food.
He has been presented with Lifetime Achievement awards in the English Asian Business Awards and the Birmingham Post Business Awards.