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Mum's secret makes Najma ketchup queen

20/12/2005

FAMILY and friends liked Najma Khan's ketchup so much she decided to go commercial - and now the mother-of-four has won her first contract to supply two ASDA stores in Manchester.

The 40-year-old cook from Crumpsall hopes this supermarket breakthrough will lead to even bugger things.

"You never know I might become a second Pataks," she said.

But for the present Najma and husband Anthony are taking their success one day at a time producing about 400 bottles a day in their small Gorton kitchen factory.

The receipt for her tamarind and mango ketchup was handed to Najma by her mother who is still alive in Pakistan.

Said Najma: "When I came to Britain 20 years ago I started making it for my husband and then by sons and daughters started to eat it. They all loved the taste.

"The word got out and friends and neighbours began asking for bottles and eventually local shops began to sell it."

Encouraged by her husband, Najma contacted ASDA and they asked her to send bottles for sampling at their headquarters.

They loved it and now Najma supplies their branches in Longsight and Hulme with three boxes each every week.

One ketchup is based on ground tamarind seeds and the other is mango flavoured both are spicy and both have a secret ingredient.

What is it? "Of course I'm not saying." said Najma.