Patak’s
L.G. Pathak
Patak’s, a staple of Indian cooking in the UK, was founded as part of a complex migration story. Its founder, L.G. Pathak, was born in Gujarat, India, in 1925. When his father died, his family was one of many from the region at the time who migrated to Kenya in search of a better life. The Pathaks opened an Indian sweet shop to remind fellow migrants of home.
In 1956, L.G. and his family moved to London, opening a shop near Euston station selling Indian sweets and groceries. The family chose to drop the ‘h’ from their surname after they moved to England, as people were sometimes confused about how to pronounce it. One day, L.G. pickled some leftover vegetables from a grocery order – and their signature pickle was born.
Image: courtesy Patak’s
