The Wouhra family has announced the sad demise of Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of East End Foods co-founder Tony Deep Wouhra and an influential figure in the early days of the business.
Surrounded by her family, she passed away peacefully on Christmas Day, 25 December, at the age of 79, following a year-long battle with lymphoma. She has three children, daughter Nina and sons Paul and Roger.
Her role in the success of the company, which has become one of the UK's leading food wholesalers, cannot be overstated. In a heartfelt tribute posted on LinkedIn on Thursday, Roger shared the deep impact his mother had on the family business.
“My mother was pivotal in shaping my father as a future businessman. They met in the early 1960s when my father, an immigrant with £3 who came to the UK looking for work. It was my mother who introduced my father to Pat Austin who had a farm with 800 hens which provided him with stock to sell eggs door to door. He didn’t look back and after that East End Foods was born in the early 1970s,” Roger wrote.
Tony established the East End Foods spice manufacturing company in Wolverhampton in 1972. His mother was an integral part of the business in its early days, Roger said, helping her husband with various tasks, from chopping chickens to managing tills at their cash and carry stores.
Tony’s four brothers joined the business, and East End Foods would become one of the leading suppliers of Asian food to the UK and Europe. In 2019, the family sold the business to private equity firm Exponent.
Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…
Roger Wouhra on LinkedIn: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother…www.linkedin.com
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother, Barbara Ann Wouhra, wife of previous Chairman and Co-Founder of East End Foods plc, Dr… | 329 comments on LinkedIn
Roger also reflected on his mother’s role beyond the business, highlighting her dedication to family life. “They say behind every successful man is a great woman, and that she truly was. What we all forget when we see people’s success stories is the other half who have supported and stuck by those who sacrificed family life and worked long hours… bringing up the children single handedly,” he shared.
In addition to her business contributions, Barbara was also a trailblazer in her personal life. In 1967, she became one of the first English women to marry at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, breaking new ground at a time when interfaith marriages were rare.
In his post, Roger also expressed gratitude for the support his family received from the nurses of the charity Marie Curie, which provides specialist care for people with terminal illnesses. “I would like to thank the Marie Curie nurses who looked after my mother in her final weeks. They really need support to keep the service going,” he said.
