From sweeping the streets of London to sweeping hearts across Britain, Laxmishanker Pathak and his wife Shanta Gaury pioneered a culinary revolution that made Indian cuisine a beloved staple in the United Kingdom.

Today, the couple’s legacy remains etched in the name: Patak’s – Britain’s biggest Indian food brand. Their story is often retold as a recipe born from a combination of hardships, resilience, enterprise, and success.

Back in the 1940s, Laxmishanker Pathak and his family escaped the crushing poverty of their Gujarat village, embarking on a journey to build a new home in Kenya.

In 1945, he married Shanta Gaury Pandit, and soon the couple were blessed with six children.

In 1956, following the Mau Mau insurgency, the Pathaks set sail on the passenger ship, ‘Uganda’, from Kenya to Marseilles. The family eventually reached London with just £5.

Laxmishanker looked for work, but the only job he was offered was sweeping the streets of London.

Soon, he realised that selling Indian food might be a better way of providing for his family, and so the journey began.

The Pathaks rented a basement flat in Kentish Town and began making Indian sweets and samosas in the tiny kitchen. Word spread and queues began to build up. Adding pickles and chutneys to their menu would be the result of an unforeseen obstacle.

In 1965, a significant over-ordering of vegetables threatened the business with bankruptcy.  To try to rectify the situation, the Pathaks decided to process the extra stock.

Disaster turned to triumph when the resulting pickles and chutneys sold so well that they were added to the existing product range.

Other items followed, including a range of curry pastes, many of them based on Shanta’s family recipes.

Laxmishanker’s next brainwave came in 1972 when the British set up refugee camps for Ugandan Asians expelled by Idi Amin.

Laxmishanker persuaded the army authorities to let their company, Patak’s (he dropped the “h” from the company name to avoid confusing the Brits), feed them.

In return, he would print and distribute information in their own language about how to fit into British society.

The business flourished and began taking orders not only from individual households and restaurants but also from shops, businesses, and even the Indian High Commission.

Laxmishanker Pathak died in 1997 while Shanta Gaury passed away in 2010. However, Patak’s remain as popular as ever, and their culinary legacy continues to cater to the taste buds of millions.