01/01/2006
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Royal tribute: Gwent man created £40m seafood company - Business award for young Asian boss - from Eurofoods
A YOUNG Asian businessman who started his Gwent seafood delivery business when he was a teenager was hailed last night as a Young Achiever of the Year:
Shelim Hussain, boss of Newport-based Euro Foods, lifted the title at the Asian Business Awards in London.In ten years from scratch. 29 year-old Mr Hussain has created a business with a turnover of around £40 million, a staff of 200 and offices in London, New York and Bangladesh.
Mr Hussain's family was so poor during his school studies that he had to work evenings at an Indian restaurant in Cardiff to support his mother, father, four sisters, four brothers and a number of older relatives.
When a supplier of frozen seafood closed, the 17 year old seized the opportunity to fill the breach – he started buying prawns from a London wholesaler and selling them to the restaurant where he worked.
Mr Hussain said: "I was doing my A-levels during the day and working evenings as a waiter, and the restaurant was looking for a supplier of seafood.
I just thought I would give it a go. The whole family were against it, but everybody has to start somewhere. I knew a wholesaler in London and took some orders from the restaurant I was working in and one or two others.
"I had never been to London on my own before and I drove up and got completely lost around the M25. But I picked up six boxes of frozen prawns and it all started from there."
The entrepeneur; who is married to Bobi and has three young children, lives in the Stow Hill area of Newport.
"I'm not a fish baron." he said. "I'm not even sure where the last 12 years of my life went. I only stopped working seven days a week a couple of years ago."
He said he was delighted with his award. "It is for me the whole team, not just me. They are second to none. You can't achieve anything in business on your own."
At the ceremony, Prince Charles hailed Asians as the most successful business people in Britain.
"With the Asian community we have even more success than anywhere else," he said
"It has made an enormous contribution to this country."
