When she immigrated to the UK from Bihar in India in the 1970s as a newly wedded bride, Perween Warsi had no idea that one day she would head a $130 million (Rs 560 crore) business empire. Her company S&A Foods is one of the biggest suppliers of packaged foods to supermarkets across the UK and also exports to the European markets. Last month, Warsi, 48, was conferred the First Women Lifetime Achievement award by the Confederation of British Industry and Real Business magazine. The award is given to women who have smashed "glass ceilings", are genuine pioneers or have "blazed a trail" in their chosen industry. In the UK, where the visibility of female entrepreneurs is low, it is indeed an admirable achievement.

PICTURE SPEAK

SOUND BITES: Warsi

It has been a long journey for this gutsy entrepreneur. As a young mother who wanted to work and still spend time with her two sons, she had started off by supplying home-made samosas to a local takeaway in Derby. "It was something that I could do easily which also fitted in with family life at that time," she says.

With interest in Indian cuisine soaring, the demand for her samosas also grew. Before long she had won the title of Samosa Queen. Encouraged by the response, Warsi launched her company in 1986. S&A Foods-named after her two sons, Sadiq and Abid-was the fastest-growing independent food manufacturer in the UK for five consecutive years according to surveys by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Today it has a turnover of $130 million and employs over 750 people. Small wonder then that Warsi is ranked among 10 of Britain's highest women flyers.

LUNCH PAD

1986: Starts supplying Indian finger foods to a takeaway; sets up S&A Foods. 1988: Ties up with Hughes Food Group. 1989: Builds first factory in Derby. 1990: Launches own brand "Shahi"; buys out business with help from 3i. 1995: S&A Foods begins exporting. 1996: Wins the Woman Entrepreneur of the World Award. 1997: Appointed to the Department of Trade & Industry Advisory Committee on Competitiveness; gets an MBE. 2002: Receives CBE in the Queen's Jubilee Honours list and the Ashridge International Leadership Conference award for leadership. 2004: Regains 100 per cent ownership of S&A Foods; launches Indian salads. 2005: Wins First Women Lifetime Achievement Award.

Warsi says she launched her business because she was very dissatisfied with the quality of Indian foods found in British supermarkets. "From childhood I had seen the importance of food, of having fresh ingredients and creating fantastic flavours. I got it from my grandmother and my mother. Food is in my blood." She wanted to enter the market with authentic dishes, prepared the traditional way. Warsi still spends considerable time on product development in the kitchen, which, she believes, is the company's lifeblood.

Ever ready to explore and grow, S&A Foods has diversified into other regional cuisines. It now produces complete meals and accompaniments from India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and more. To keep ahead in the game, Warsi tours the world in search of new recipe ideas. In April 1996 the company launched an exciting range of top quality Chinese dishes devised in partnership with world famous television chef, Ken Hom. S&A Foods has also found takers in other countries.

Neither Warsi nor S&A Foods believe in resting on past laurels. There are plans to expand its production capacity in the future and introduce new technology-a sophisticated computerised production and processing system, which aids decision-making and increases production flexibility. It seems the Samosa Queen has an insatiable appetite. For a woman who never went to university, she is doing remarkably well to project it. In the bargain, she is also whetting the appetite of other hungry folks.

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