Shetty to launch own gourmet range
Aug 25 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal
BOLLYWOOD star and Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty is to launch her own range of poppadoms and pickles.
Shilpa and entrepreneur boyfriend Raj Kundra have taken a stake in the UK food firm V8 Gourmet and will create Shilpa’s Gourmet Creations, a range of “premium authentic gourmet meals, chutneys and pickles”.
It is understood that the couple are acquiring a 33% stake by putting £6m into a company valued at about £20m.
Kundra is chief executive officer of the Dubai-based Essential General Trading which he set up in 2004 and which now deals in precious metals, construction, mining and green renewable energy projects.
“I feel proud to be associated with the V8 Gourmet group,” she said. “They spell consistency, quality and authentic Indian food. Hoping that with our partnership we grow faster and envisage a great future with a whole new line of products and restaurants all over Europe, Dubai and Jordan.”
The actress, who appeared on Big Brother in 2007, was at the centre of a race row when Jade Goody and fellow contestants apparently made racist remarks about her.
Shetty said she had no regrets about appearing on the show and was happy she had buried the hatchet with Goody before she died of cervical cancer earlier this year.
She added that launching her own range of poppadoms “brought back memories” of her time on the show. Goody famously dubbed Shetty “Shilpa Poppadom” when she was in the house.
“Poppadoms do show we have a sense of humour, we intend on giving them out for free. I do hope they are not called Shilpa’s Poppadoms!”
