TELLY CHEF ANAND’S ASIAN FOOD FIRM FETCHES £44M

A COUPLE banked a handsome windfall after Premier Foods bought their Indian and Thai meal kit brand The Spice Tailor for £43.8m.

Food writer and TV chef Anjum Anand, pictured, and husband Adarsh Sethia founded the business in 2010. They each own between 25pc and 50pc, putting them in line for a payout from Premier of at least £21.9m.

The Sharwood’s and Loyd Grossman sauces owner will also pay up to £28.7m over the purchase price depending on Spice Tailor’s performance. The business makes products including a Mangalore Roasted Coconut curry that can be cooked in three steps.

The brand is available in major grocers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons and is expected to hit sales of £17.3m this year.

Anand, 50, has published six cookbooks and her TV appearances led to her being dubbed ‘the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine’.

Anand and Sethia said they were ‘very pleased’ at the takeover and that Premier Foods is a ‘perfect fit’ for their business.