Can Patak’s fiery flavour survive in ABF’s big corporate cooking pot?

I have long been a fan of Patak’s, the Lancashire-based Indian sauce-and-pickle empire that was acquired last week by Associated British Foods for an undisclosed price thought to be somewhere north of £100 million. The business that now sells 30 million jars of curry sauce a year and supplies three quarters of Britain’s Indian restaurants has not only encouraged British eaters to explore the wider possibilities of subcontinental cuisine, but has set a shining 50-year example of family entrepreneurship.