Shilpa Shetty buys into lucrative curry business
24 August 2009

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her fiancé, entrepreneur Raj Kundra, have bought a stake in V8 Gourmet Group which compasses restaurant brands 'The Bombay Bicycle Club', high end 'Vama' and fast food brand 'Tiffinbites'. At a press launch, Shetty said that she was hugely excited to be working with celebrity chef Andy Varma (of Vama) to formulate a range of low-fat curry ready meals, chutneys and pickles that she will launch in six to eight months under the 'Gourmet Creations' brand. The V8 Group owned by Anoup Treon had a turnover of £15 million in 2008 and 456 employees based in 29 sites throughout the UK.

The group is well-placed to take advantage of London Olympics 2012, which will give a boost to the take away retail market estimated to be worth £47.5bn by 2014, with The Bombay Bicycle Club and Shilpa 'Gourmet Creations' brands. The Fast Food market, estimated to be worth some £3.6billion in 2012 is catered for by The Tiffinbites brand, with the remaining contract catering marketing being handled the Vama brands.

"I feel proud to be associated with the V8 Gourmet Group" said Shetty, "they have carved a niche for themselves in the Indian food industry in the last 13 years, and spell consistency, quality and authentic Indian food. I hope that our partnership will grow faster and envisage a great future with a whole new line of products and restaurants all over Europe, Dubai and Jordan".

She added that had been looking for a collaboration in the UK so that she could reach out to her British and British Asian fans who have been following her story since she won Celebrity Big Brother.

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