Members of the Pathak family, which founded the UK’s Patak’s Foods, have agreed to settle their feud over the family fortune.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The High Court has been told that a provisional agreement, believed to be worth up to £12m (US$21.3m), has been reached, reported BBC News Online.


Two of the Pathak daughters, Chitralekha Mehta and Anila Shastri, claimed they had been cheated out of their company shares, but their brother and company boss Kirit Pathak disputed their claim.


The two sisters said they had given their shares to their mother, Shantagaury Pathak, to look after but she had passed them on to Kirit, who later bought out his brothers and parents and took control of the Lancashire-based company.


The daughters had claimed that they were victims of a Hindu tradition in which business assets are passed down to the sons of a family.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The settlement will not become official until the details have been translated into Gujarati so that Shantagaury, who was co-defendant with Kirit in the daughters’ case, can agree to it, the BBC reported.


Shantagaury and her husband Laxmishanker Pathak arrived in the UK from Kenya in 1955 with six children to support and very little money. They began selling samosas to the local Indian community, and then set up a shop and extended their product range to include pickles and chutneys. The company’s products now also include sauces in jars and cans, ready-made meals, pappadums, ready-to-eat breads, Indian snacks, frozen wraps and chilled ready meals. According to the company website, Patak’s products are used by an estimated 90% of Indian restaurants in the UK.

Just Food Excellence Awards - The Benefits of Entering

Gain the recognition you deserve! The Just Food Excellence Awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and impact. By entering, you showcase your achievements, elevate your industry profile, and position yourself among top leaders driving food industry advancements. Don’t miss your chance to stand out—submit your entry today!

Nominate Now