Bringing a touch of spice to #madeinsandwell Monday this week is East End Foods, which has been serving up the taste of India from the West Midlands for over 40 years.

Although the company’s headquarters are on Kenrick Way in West Bromwich, East End Foods was originally established by the Wouhra brothers in Wolverhampton.

Over the last four decades, the business has grown from a small shop delivering door to door, into the largest importer of ethnic foods in the UK with an annual turnover of over £195m.

More than 80 per cent of independent Asian grocery stores in the country stock East End’s range, as well as major retailers Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi and the Co-Operative.

The business’s initial retail success enabled the purchase of two units and a move into the wholesale market. In the 1980s the company expanded to premises in Highgate, Birmingham and in the early 1990s it went on to open its flagship wholesale distribution centre in Smethwick.

East End Foods’ continued hard work led to further success when, in 1999, it opened a £9m West Bromwich manufacturing and distribution plant, housing state-of-the-art food processing technology.

The company now manufactures and distributes over 1,250 Asian food ingredients, including a wide range of spices, pulses, rice, oils, sauces and pastes.

The company attributes its success to the philosophy of its founders: Trilok, Tony Deep, Jas, David and Don Wouhra. They have always believed in “innovation, honesty and team work”.

East End plays an active part in food production, pioneering the reduction of pesticides and aflatoxins in food; regularly visiting overseas suppliers and ensuring that the foods it sells have full traceability “from field to plate”.

“Our aim is to increase the consumer base for Asian foods in Europe,” said company chairman Tony Deep Wouhra MBE. “We are constantly striving to strengthen our distribution network and work with our trusted suppliers to develop new products.”

The desire to share the delights of Indian cooking is clear from East End Foods’ website, which is packed with recipes, cooking tips and even an online shop. So there’s no excuse not to get cooking and serve up your own Midlands meal with a touch of East End spice!

#madeinsandwell Monday is a celebration of the talent and diversity of businesses in our borough. If you’re interested in being considered for a #madeinsandwell Monday profile, read this.