Dineshbhai and Savitaben Patel: Thika Couple Who Went on to Establish Multimillion Venture in the UK

Dineshbhai Patel and his spouse Savitaben Patel are the epitome of those who start from nothing and work their way up to become wealthy.

Beginning in Thika Town, Kiambu County, the couple gambled all of their savings in order to launch a successful business in Leicester, UK.

Today, the company has established a customer base in over 60 countries.

Here is his story as told by WoK.

Patel was born in Thika in 1941, and after completing his education, he went on to establish Cofresh in Nairobi in 1965.

At the time, the company majored in supplying potato crisps and to shops and local cinemas spread across the city.

The business expanded to the point where they started receiving orders to supply the crisps to other Nairobi satellite towns.

However, after saving enough money from their potato crisps business, Patel and his wife relocated to the United Kingdom and settled in Leicester.

Once they arrived in the UK, Patel and Savitaben invested in a fish and chips store to get them started.

Their business helped them save more money, which they used to establish a snack manufacturing hub in their small home.

Patel and Savitaben concentrated on producing classic handmade spicy peanuts and green peas while growing their clientele.

The customary handmade spicy peanuts in tiny pouches gained popularity among both consumers and merchants.

Green peas and peanuts assisted Patel and Savitaben in registering Cofresh, which went on to become a major supplier of real spices throughout the world.

Cofresh grew into a multi-million pound manufacturer, selling its Bombay mix, spicy mix, chick peas, chilli chips and other ranges to all the main UK supermarkets.

A healthier Eat Real range was launched a few years ago and the business with turnover last year of £52.5 million, found customers in 60 countries around the world.

In 2020, Patel gave way to private equity to purchase the business, bringing in new managers and altering the company’s leadership.

In the summer of 2020, the couple bought Barnsdale Hall Hotel, on the banks of Rutland Water, before carrying out extensive renovations and renaming it Rutland Hall Hotel and Spa.

“We fell in love with it the moment we saw it, and are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to take it to the next stage of its development and journey,” Patel said.

Unfortunately, he passed away in April 2023.

Patel passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his immediate family and his siblings, aged 81.

He leaves behind his wife Savitaben, sons Priyesh and Minesh, daughter-in-laws Divya and Darshana and four grandchildren.