Pataks Products

Patak's: Britain's Authentic Indian Food Brand Since 1957 Patak's stands as one of the most significant success stories in British food history, transforming from a small family enterprise behind Euston Station to becoming the supplier of choice for 75% of Britain's curry houses. This remarkable journey, born from a refugee family's determination and culinary heritage, has made Indian cooking accessible to millions of British homes. At Grocefully, we help you compare Patak's prices across UK supermarkets, ensuring you find the best deals on these authentic Indian food products. The Inspiring Origins of Patak's The Patak's story begins not with business ambition but with survival and hope. Lakshmishanker Pathak and his wife Shanta were Gujarati entrepreneurs living in Kenya when political turmoil threatened their safety. With the onset of the Mau Mau Uprising and increasing hostility towards the Asian community, the Pathaks made the difficult decision to leave everything they knew behind. In 1956, the family set sail on the passenger ship SS Uganda, stopping in Kenya and Marseilles before finally reaching London. They arrived in England with just five pounds between them – refugees in an unfamiliar country, starting completely from scratch. The early years in Britain were challenging. The Pathaks worked tirelessly to establish themselves, drawing on their skills, culture, and the culinary traditions they had brought with them from India via East Africa. Their determination and hard work would eventually create one of Britain's most beloved food brands. A Small Shop Behind Euston Station After a couple of years of establishing themselves in their new country, the Pathaks opened a small shop behind Euston Station selling Indian groceries. This modest beginning would prove transformational, though success didn't come immediately. What set the Pathaks' shop apart from others was their uncompromising commitment to quality. They sourced only the best foodstuffs they could find, refusing to compromise on ingredients even when it might have been easier or more profitable to do otherwise. Word spread among the growing Indian community and curry enthusiasts, and the business began to flourish. The shop served a growing market of Indian expatriates hungry for tastes of home, but it also attracted adventurous British customers curious about the spices and flavours of the subcontinent. In this small retail space, the seeds of a revolution in British eating habits were being planted. The Happy Accident That Changed Everything The real turning point for the Pathaks came through what might be called a happy accident. Having once ordered too many vegetables, rather than waste them, they decided to pickle the extras. This practical response to potential waste led to an innovation that would define the company. Coupled with freshly ground spices preserved in oil, the Pathaks found they could create spice pastes that gave the authentic taste of India whilst remaining stable and convenient for home cooks. These pastes captured the complex flavour profiles of traditional Indian cooking in a format that even inexperienced cooks could use successfully. This innovation was revolutionary. Previously, recreating authentic Indian dishes at home required sourcing numerous individual spices, understanding how to blend them, and knowing the traditional cooking techniques. The Pathaks' pastes democratised Indian cooking, making it accessible to anyone with a jar of paste and basic cooking skills. Growing a Food Empire From those early paste products, Patak's grew steadily. The family developed an expanding range of products, moving beyond pickles and pastes to include cooking sauces, accompaniments, and eventually ready meals. Each product maintained the commitment to quality and authenticity that had characterised the original shop. The brand became increasingly visible in British supermarkets throughout the 1980s and 1990s, coinciding with – and contributing to – Britain's growing love affair with Indian food. As chicken tikka masala rose to become Britain's favourite dish, Patak's products enabled home cooks to recreate restaurant favourites in their own kitchens. By the turn of the millennium, Patak's had become a major food manufacturer. In 2002, the company opened a state-of-the-art production facility in Leigh, Lancashire – described as the world's largest Indian food factory. This 164,000-square-foot facility represented the culmination of the Pathak family's journey from refugees with five pounds to food industry leaders. The Associated British Foods Era In May 2007, Patak's was acquired by Associated British Foods (ABF) for £200 million. This acquisition brought Patak's into one of Britain's largest food conglomerates, providing resources for continued growth and development. The deal included the Patak's brand and assets in all countries except India. Recognising the value of the family's expertise, ABF retained the Pathak family as consultants. Kirit Pathak, son of the founders, was appointed chairman of ABF's newly formed combined world foods group, which integrated Patak's with the Blue Dragon brand to create AB World Foods. Under ABF's ownership, Patak's has continued to develop whilst maintaining its heritage and quality standards. The combination with Blue Dragon created a world foods division capable of offering consumers a comprehensive range of Asian cooking products under trusted brands. Supplying Britain's Curry Houses One measure of Patak's success and quality is its dominance in the professional catering sector. Remarkably, Patak's supplies 75% of British curry houses with sauces and mixed spices. This extraordinary market share reflects the trust that professional chefs place in the brand's products. For restaurant owners, consistency is crucial. Customers expect their favourite dishes to taste the same visit after visit. Patak's products deliver this consistency, providing professional kitchens with reliable base ingredients that form the foundation of countless curry house menus across Britain. This professional endorsement adds credibility to the retail products. When home cooks use Patak's products, they're using the same quality ingredients trusted by thousands of professional curry chefs. It's an authentic taste that connects home cooking to the curry house tradition. Understanding Patak's Products Patak's offers an extensive range of Indian food products designed to make authentic cooking accessible at home. Understanding these different products helps consumers choose the right options for their cooking needs. Curry Pastes The curry paste range forms the heart of Patak's offering, directly descended from those original pastes created in the Euston shop. These concentrated blends of spices, herbs, and other ingredients provide the foundational flavours for numerous curry styles. Popular paste varieties include Tikka Masala Paste for Britain's favourite curry, Korma Paste for milder, creamier dishes, Madras Paste for those preferring more heat, Balti Paste for the Birmingham-originated style, and Jalfrezi Paste for spiced stir-fry curries. Pastes offer flexibility for confident cooks who want to build dishes from scratch, controlling additional ingredients and cooking methods. They're economical for frequent curry makers, as a single jar of paste can create multiple meals. Cooking Sauces For maximum convenience, Patak's cooking sauces provide complete curry bases requiring only the addition of meat, fish, or vegetables. These sauces contain the paste along with tomatoes, cream, coconut, or other ingredients appropriate to each curry style. Cooking sauces suit busy households wanting curry in minutes rather than building dishes from scratch. They're also excellent for those newer to Indian cooking who might not yet be confident adjusting seasoning and building layers of flavour. The range covers all the popular curry styles – Tikka Masala, Korma, Madras, Jalfrezi, Rogan Josh, and numerous others – providing variety for regular curry nights. Accompaniments No curry is complete without accompaniments, and Patak's offers products to round out Indian meals. Poppadoms provide the essential crispy starter, available in various flavours. Chutneys and pickles, recalling the brand's origins, add traditional condiment options. Naan bread and other bread products complete the range, though these products occupy a smaller part of the overall Patak's portfolio compared to pastes and sauces. Ready Meals For ultimate convenience, Patak's ready meals provide complete curry dinners requiring only heating. These meals bring restaurant-quality curry to homes without any cooking required. Whilst purists might prefer cooking from scratch, ready meals serve legitimate purposes – quick lunches, emergency dinners, or introductions to Indian flavours for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. The Art of Indian Spicing Understanding why Patak's products work so well requires appreciating the complexity of Indian spicing. Traditional Indian cooking involves layering numerous spices, each contributing specific flavours and characteristics to finished dishes. A typical curry might include cumin for earthiness, coriander for brightness, turmeric for colour and warmth, chillies for heat, ginger and garlic for pungency, garam masala for aromatic complexity, and numerous other spices depending on the regional tradition and specific dish. These spices must be combined in correct proportions, often toasted or fried to release their oils, and added at appropriate stages of cooking. Getting this right requires knowledge passed down through generations of Indian cooking. Patak's products capture this complexity, developed by people who understand traditional Indian cooking intimately. The pastes and sauces encode culinary knowledge that might take years to acquire, making it available to anyone opening a jar. British Indian Cuisine Patak's products are specifically developed for British Indian cuisine, which has its own characteristics distinct from food served in India. British curry house cooking evolved to suit British palates whilst maintaining authentic Indian spicing principles. Dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, often cited as Britain's national dish, emerged from this culinary cross-pollination. The balance of spicing, the use of cream to moderate heat, and the focus on certain flavour profiles reflect British preferences developed over decades of curry house dining. Patak's products capture this British Indian tradition authentically. They're not attempting to replicate specific regional Indian cuisines but rather the distinctive British curry style that has become beloved across the nation. Cooking with Patak's Products Getting the best results from Patak's products involves understanding how to use them effectively. Different products suit different approaches and skill levels. Using Curry Pastes Pastes provide maximum flexibility but require more active cooking. A typical approach involves frying the paste in oil to release and develop its flavours, then building the curry with additional ingredients. For a basic curry, fry two tablespoons of paste in oil for a minute or two, add diced meat and seal on all sides, add tinned tomatoes and/or water to create a sauce, then simmer until the meat is cooked through. Cream or yogurt can be added for richness, adjusted to taste. More confident cooks can personalise pastes further – adding fresh ginger, extra garlic, whole spices, or other ingredients to create individual interpretations. Using Cooking Sauces Cooking sauces require less technique. Simply cook your protein of choice – chicken pieces, prawns, lamb, paneer, or vegetables – then pour over the sauce and simmer together until everything is heated through and the protein is cooked. The simplicity makes cooking sauces ideal for midweek meals when time is limited. Fifteen minutes from starting to serving is achievable with most curry sauces. Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing Under Associated British Foods' ownership, Patak's has made significant commitments to sustainability and ethical sourcing. The brand has received recognition for these efforts, including the 2025 edie Award for Supply Chain Sustainability Project of the Year, awarded for ethical sourcing practices. ABF has pledged full certification of key ingredients including palm oil and soya by 2025 to support zero-deforestation goals. These commitments reflect growing consumer interest in knowing that the products they buy are produced responsibly. For environmentally conscious consumers, these efforts provide reassurance that choosing Patak's aligns with their values. The brand demonstrates that successful commercial food production can coexist with responsible sourcing. Remembering the Founders The Patak's story remains inseparable from its founding family. Shanta Pathak, the matriarch who alongside her husband built the brand from nothing, passed away on 23 November 2010 at Royal Bolton Hospital. Her contribution to British food culture, and her inspiring journey from refugee to business leader, deserves lasting recognition. The Pathak family's legacy lives on in every jar of Patak's paste and sauce. The quality standards they established, the commitment to authentic flavours, and the accessibility they created for Indian cooking all continue to benefit British consumers decades after that first small shop behind Euston Station. Comparing Patak's Prices Across UK Supermarkets One of the key benefits of shopping for Patak's products through Grocefully is the ability to compare prices across UK supermarkets. Patak's is available virtually everywhere, but prices vary between retailers and over time. Major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Waitrose all stock comprehensive Patak's ranges. Promotional offers frequently provide significant savings, particularly on cooking sauces which are often included in multibuys. Comparing prices before purchasing ensures you're getting the best value. Given that keen curry enthusiasts might purchase multiple jars regularly, these savings accumulate meaningfully over time. Why Choose Patak's? Several factors distinguish Patak's from competitors in the Indian food category. Heritage and authenticity come from the brand's founding by people who understood Indian cooking intimately. The products weren't developed by food scientists trying to approximate Indian flavours but by Indian cooks encoding their culinary knowledge. Professional endorsement through supply to 75% of British curry houses validates the quality. If thousands of curry house chefs trust Patak's, home cooks can feel confident in their choice. Range comprehensiveness means Patak's offers products for every level of engagement with Indian cooking, from complete ready meals to versatile pastes for creative cooks. Availability ensures convenience. Patak's products are stocked in virtually every UK supermarket, making repurchasing easy wherever you shop. Curry Night Made Easy Patak's has played a significant role in establishing curry night as a British institution. The combination of accessible products and delicious results has made regular home-cooked curry achievable for millions of households. A typical curry night might include a cooking sauce for the main dish, poppadoms for starters, rice as accompaniment, and naan bread for scooping. Patak's can provide most of these elements, creating a complete Indian meal experience at home. For families, curry night offers an opportunity to explore different flavours and heat levels, introducing children to spicing whilst allowing adults to enjoy more robust options. The variety of Patak's products supports this exploratory approach. Conclusion Patak's represents one of British food industry's most inspiring success stories. From refugees arriving with just five pounds to supplying three-quarters of Britain's curry houses, the Pathak family's journey embodies determination, quality, and the power of authentic cooking. Whether you're a confident cook building complex curries from paste or a busy parent seeking quick weeknight dinners, Patak's offers products that deliver genuine Indian flavours. By comparing prices across UK supermarkets through Grocefully, you can enjoy these products whilst ensuring you're getting the best available value. Explore Patak's products on Grocefully today and discover how smart shopping can help you bring authentic Indian flavours to your table without paying more than necessary.