By Milton Tella – The Ballroom of the Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square, London was packed to capacity as guests from diverse communities were in attendance at the celebration of Wanis International Foods at sixty on Wednesday 25 September 2024.
The celebration of the food import giant, Wanis was graced by Diplomats, UK politicians, International figures, celebrities, media agencies, newspaper groups, radio & television stations and independent food & grocery retailers and big brands such as USA Rice, Bestways, Supermalt and Tilda Rice,
The happiness in the inspiring story of Wanis International Foods can be summarised in the key messages encapsulated by the management staff.
The matriarch of the family, Mrs Wadhwani, the mother of Kapil and Sanjay said, “Today fills me with great pride, not only for where we are now, but how Wanis continues to grow.
I’m so proud of how successful Wanis has become and continues to be.
What an incredible journey it has been. Thank you for sharing this milestone with us.”
Sanjay said, “A special vote of thanks to those of you that have made great efforts to be here from overseas or changed your plans to remain in the UK for this event.
This milestone is indeed a significant achievement, representing not only the hard work and dedication of our team but also serving as a guiding light for what lies ahead. We can view this moment as both a reflection of our past and an inspiration for our vibrant future.”
Kapil said, “Sixty years ago, in 1964, our father, Tulsidas Wadhwani, was inspired by the birth of his first child, our big sister, to lay the foundation of what would eventually become Wanis International Foods. He believed she was his lucky charm, as her name NityaLaxmi literally means “Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.”
From a small shop on Holloway Road with a simple red delivery van, he started the journey to bring the authentic tastes of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to the UK. His vision was to create a bridge between cultures, allowing communities to connect and stay strong with their roots through food.”
Alam Ameer, the Director of Operations said, This celebration is an opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to those who have made this journey possible and those customers, suppliers and family that have been on the journey but aren’t able to be with us today to mark this milestone.
George Phillips, the Commercial Director who raised the toast to the next 60 years of success, growth, and shared achievements said, “Our mission remains clear: to deliver adventurous and exciting foods from around the world to dining tables across the UK and beyond.
But, our journey is not solitary; it involves collaboration with customers, suppliers, service providers, 3rd party stakeholders and more.
As we celebrate our past and look to the future, let’s remember the values that have brought us this far: family, community and a deep appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultures we serve.”
Adams, theFinance Director said, “Wanis distributes over 4,000 different products and exports to over 45 different countries.
But tonight isn’t about patting ourselves on the back, it is to say thank you to all our partners, the people and relationships that have helped this success story.
We have always taken the ‘ethos’ of giving back very seriously, over the years we have donated our time and money to charities and initiatives across the globe.
We always look to support initiatives in the communities where our foods are grown and made; from building orphanages in Ghana, donating laptops to schools in Jamaica, installing water pumps in Pakistan, the Guru Nanak Home For Children in India and closer to home – helping the NHS increase blood donations during the Pandemic and supporting food banks.
60 represents a Diamond anniversary, in addition to the charitable contributions we normally make each year and to mark our sixth decade we are donating six grants of £10,000 each to a number of charities.”
Paul Harrison, Head of Community Relations at Wanis said, “Over the years we have supported a number of charities and initiatives, to name just a few: Waltham Forest Islam Association, Catholic Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel/ Stoke Newington, Church of St Monica’s, Hoxton Parish, Nigerian Community association in Rochdale and the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK).
I am so proud to announce the recipients of the Diamond anniversary grants are:
- Little Lady Locks, who provide free tailored hair solutions for children suffering from hair loss
- Javeno McLean – a truly inspirational personal trainer who gives his time to rehabilitating people with disabilities.
- The ‘Against Malaria Foundation’ charity who provide insect nets to those in affected areas of Nigeria
- The Guru Nanak Home in India, who are specialised in correcting physical disabilities in children
- White Marl and Jose Marti Schools in Jamaica
- And the final grant we are awarding will be split between a number of UK food banks including Plate For You and Peckham Pantry.
Guests were treated to varieties of assorted and delicious foods from across Africa, Caribbean and Asia continents.
The array of guests turned out in colourful attires that displayed various cultural backgrounds in a carnival like manner.
Entertainment and live music was by Rowe Talent Gospel Singers.
Wanis 60th evening of celebration will remain in the memories of all attendees for a very long time.
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