- Saturday, April 20, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
Dineshbhai Patel, founder and chairman of Cofresh Snack Foods, manufacturer of savoury Indian snacks based in Leicester, UK, has passed away.
He was 81 and is survived by his wife Savitaben Patel, sons Priyesh and Minesh, daughters-in-law Divya and Darshana and four grandchildren.
According to the veteran’s family sources, Dineshbhai passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his immediate family members and siblings.
The entrepreneurial journey of Patel, who was born in Thika town of Kenya in July 1941 to Narottambhai and Lakshmiben Patel, began in 1965 in Nairobi where he started Cofresh, a manufacturer of potato crisps and popcorn for local cinemas and shops.
In the mid-1970s, Dineshbhai and Savitaben emigrated to the UK where they invested their life savings in a fish-and-chip shop in Leicester. Living above the shop, they turned it into a small home-based production facility to begin making savoury Indian snacks.
Their traditional handmade spicy peanuts and green peas — cooked in the fryers and packed by hand in small pouches — soon became popular with customers and retailers alike.
The business flourished soon, thanks to the couple’s hard work and their ability to meet the growing demand for authentic Indian snacks.
These two simple products marked the beginning of the multi-million-pound brand that Cofresh is today.
Dineshbhai was soon joined by his brothers and in the late 1990s by his sons — and although he reached his official age of retirement, he did not show any signs of slowing down.
At the age of 73, he took part in a skydiving event for LOROS Hospice.
Cofresh Snack Foods ran for over 50 years under family ownership, employing more than 250 people in sites across Leicester and Nuneaton.
The company’s expansion was astonishing, starting from a regional snacks supplier to an international one, exporting the Cofresh and Eat Real brands to over 60 countries.
Cofresh products have won the hearts of people across the nation, becoming the UK’s No 1 Indian snack brand and Eat Real has reached admirable heights in just a short period of time to be the UK’s No 1 healthier ‘free-from’ bagged snack brand.
In 2020, Dineshbhai and Savitaben Patel also bought Barnsdale Hall Hotel in Rutland from Derek Penman, one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs.
It was also the same year that the successful brands and business were acquired by Private Equity.
Till recently, Dineshbhai remained committed to the business and passionately visited the factory every day, helping on the packing lines till November last year after which his health started deteriorating.
Throughout his life, his dedication to the community and numerous charitable causes in particular LOROS Hospice never wavered, often making donations or supporting worthwhile causes without any publicity.
Reactions poured in from various quarters over his death.
Kamlesh Purohit, deputy managing editor, BBC Radio, said, “Today we mourn the loss of a truly remarkable person. I have not met a more humble, generous, and kind-hearted man than Shri Dineshbhai Patel – the founder of the COFRESH SNACKS FOODS company and owner of the beautiful Rutland Hall Hotel.
“I’m proud that my family was able to share the early part of the Cofresh journey back in the early 1970s and watch how he faced the struggles and challenges of setting up a new business head-on with an unparalleled determination and vision and turning it into a multimillion-pound business; And having adopted my mum as a sister, he was always Dineshmama to us.”
“What a fantastic role-model he has been to the British Asian community… and the legacy he has passed on to his amazing sons Priyeshbhai and Minesh. This is a monumental loss for the entire nation.”
Uday Dholakia said he was deeply saddened by the passing of Dineshbhai Patel.
“A thoroughly humble human being, grounded industrialist, a wise consul, a generous and affectionate man. A passage in time, full of memories, achievements against odds, humility in abundance and profound vivacity for progress. A loss to me of a great mentor and revered elder statesman. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to Priyesh Patel MBE DL Minesh Patel Savitaben and all the Patel family,” he said in his condolence.
Yatin Kotak said, “I’m numb at the incredibly sad and untimely passing of my beloved elder fatherly uncle, Shri Dineshbhai Patel, who leaves a huge hole in our lives. An incredible visionary leader who played many roles and impacted many lives.
“He was a giant in bringing everyone together, never imposing, independent, ensuring always being around to make a difference, in his silent ways, proudly I can say, his love was felt through his actions, reactions and most importantly his presence.
“He would silently observe what would bring a smile to someone, be it one of his own, or be they just someone to cross his path… and then without any announcements or any expectations of any acknowledgement, he would just act. He was simple, finding contentment in fulfilling other’s needs & wishes, with very little pleasure or comfort from material things.”
