About us

History of the brand

Uncover the story of the Pearl of the Punjab

Once upon a time, 24 years ago to be exact, White Pearl was born in the only region of the world where Basmati rice can be born – the Punjab. That’s where it all started, with Basmati rice. Today we have over 300 products to offer you, from spices to chutney, from curry pastes to ghee, from lentils to rice. So whether you are an everyday foodie, a seasoned connoisseur or just a curry-lover like us,

The Pearl of the Punjab

White Pearl was born 24 years ago in the only region of the world where Basmati rice can be born – the Punjab.

The White Pearl story all started in the early 1990s when, dissatisfied with the quality of Basmati rice available in the UK, White Pearl set out to make Basmati rice right. The Basmati rice available at the time often contained a mix of multiple varieties of rice, had high levels of broken rice and had a weak flavour. Having come from the Punjab, this was something we could not accept. No one should compromise the way Basmati rice should be.

We knew that true Basmati rice can only come from the Punjab, and that Basmati rice from the Punjab had the richest flavour and most fragrant aroma in the world of rice. So we didn’t waste any time, and the first thing we did was to buy a rice mill in the heart of the Punjab, in Pakistan. (In case you hadn’t heard, when it comes to curry, we don’t mess around…)

…And we choose to do it right.

We took time to make our rice, and made it with care. We grew our crops for longer, and chose to let our rice age for 18 months in jute bags in just the right conditions. We chose to retain the flavour and the aroma by not over-polishing our grains. And we decided not to compromise on what goes in the bag – a single variety of Basmati rice, and lovely long grains.

This delicate process and winning recipe led White Pearl to become the top-selling Premium Pakistani Basmati rice in the UK within just 2 years. And White Pearl became the first major importer of Pakistani Basmati rice in the UK. However, rice was just the start…

From here, we turned our attention to spices. At the time, many spices were not easily available and there were very few types of spices. The spices that could be found in the UK often had inconsistent flavours. And so we began to explore the world to search for more authentic and better quality spices. We travelled from India to China, from Madagascar to Guatemala, from Spain to Brazil, sourcing the very best spices available around the world. And before long a carefully selected range of authentic global spices joined the White Pearl kitchen.

…

Since then, the White Pearl kitchen has rapidly grown bigger and bigger as the brand has continued to serve up a wide range of authentic curry ingredients – from rice, to spices, to lentils, to curry pastes and much more. Bringing curry lovers everywhere all the ingredients they need to make curry the way it is meant to be, and to make a curry they can be truly proud of…

Mission

We cook and eat curry every day. It’s in our blood.

Our mission ? Simple.

Spreading curry love.

Come and discover the cultures, traditions and pleasures of curry. Uncover authentic ways to cook vibrant, mouth-watering curries. And most importantly experience the true taste of curry. Because with a dash of chilli, a spoonful of chutney and a sprinkle of flour, White Pearl brings you curry as it is meant to be, whether you are an everyday foodie, a seasoned connoisseur or just a curry-lover like us (sorry…we’re kinda obsessed…).

So come on in into our kitchen…

Ethics

We believe in right.

Whatever you are doing, do it right.

This is why we never compromise the way curry should be. For us, the true taste of curry is worth fighting for.

But our fight for right goes beyond just our products.

We care for the fields, the grain, the people who make it and the people who eat it.

Fighting for our farmers

We believe in giving back to the communities that grow our products. We work with farmers and their communities to ensure that they are being given better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for their produce.

We have been committed to working with the same farmers year after year, harvest after harvest. We have made it a priority to build strong relationships with our farmers, and these relationships have now lasted over 24 years. Why? Because we believe in right. It is the right thing to do. And we know the more love and care we show our farmers, the more love and care they will take in growing the crops, and this leads to better quality ingredients.

After all, our farmers are part of our family. So against the norm, we made a decision to deal with our farmers directly, allowing us to support them properly. We chose to cut out any middle men, allowing us to pay them more. To pay them what they deserve. To pay them what is right.

As a result, we can ensure our farmers have enough money to feed their families, to build their homes and to fill their kitchens. It is our way of thanking them for everything they do for us and for playing their part in helping us to bring the best curry ingredients to curry lovers everywhere.

Fighting for the community

We believe it is right that we support local communities, especially those who play a part in making White Pearl what it is. We believe that every citizen has a right to a decent education and basic health services. And we will not rest in our fight for this.

White Pearl, in association with Bestway Foundation, has contributed to investing significantly in village schools and apprenticeships in the rice-growing regions under an innovative adoption and management programme. To date, 29 village schools have been adopted and over 4,000 school children have been provided with free education.

Moreover, both White Pearl and the Foundation has worked hard to deliver education and health services around rural communities throughout the UK and Pakistan. From building schools and providing scholarships that allow students to go to university, to supporting charities in their fight against poverty, to donating funds to help communities cope during natural disasters, to contributing towards the building of hospitals that provide vital health services, White Pearl will always continue to support the community. But we know this is not enough. We know we can do more. And we will not rest.

To find out more, visit: http://www.bestwaygroup.co.uk/responsibility/bestway-foundation

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