Moni Varma - the man behind the brand
"So here you are, reading about rice, recipes, festivals, food and all sorts of other stuff. But how much do you know about Moni Varma, entrepreneur, speculator, father and founder of Veetee, whose story contains more surprises than an expensive piñata and without whom we’d all be contemplating rice in eye-achingly artificial orange packaging.
Have a go at our quiz and see if you can plot Moni’s progress from the cradle to the Medway, and find out the truth behind the brand Veetee."
Question 1
OK let's start at the beginning. Where did Moni Varma, founder of Veetee, grow up?
Wrong!
Moni's parents were Indian and he was born there, but he grew up somewhere else.
Correct!
Moni grew up in Malawi - the youngest of eight siblings, (which explains the steely determination).
Question 2
It was not long before Moni made his first business investment - £300- what was it in?
Wrong!
That would be too easy. Moni cut his business teeth on something much, much harder than rice.
Correct!
Well done! But he didn’t just invest. He took a stake in the business and became its salesman as well. Needless to say, it rocketed.
Wrong!
Wrong! But not entirely. Once this initial venture was clearing £1m per year Moni did indeed go into corrugated iron. He borrowed heavily to set it up, but turned profit in two months. Clever guy.
Question 3
1980 was a big year for Moni Varma, so what do you think he did?
Correct!
1980 was the year Moni met the future Mrs Varma. But that wasn’t all he did that year...
Wrong!
Not a man to hang around, Moni married Shobha just months after meeting her. But that wasn’t all he did that year...
Wrong!
Moni and Shobha moved to the UK in 1980. He continued working in the steel industry, and had a business of his own within 12 months. But that wasn’t all he did that year...
Question 4
This whole rice thing. How did that start?
Wrong!
Moni had no contacts - or experience – in the UK food industry in the early 1980s. But that was soon to change.
Correct!
Well done! In 1985 relatives in India asked Moni to help them find rice buyers in the UK. And would you believe it, he said yes...
Wrong!
Moni didn’t find out there was a £450 per tonne levy on imported white rice versus £200 on brown by chance. He was actually looking for something else...
Question 5
So where did the name Veetee come from?
Correct!
Well done! It was a family venture, so the name came from the two families’ initials: V for Varma and T for Thapar (the family in India’s name).
Question 6
But outside business, what's his great love (apart from Shobha of course)?
Wrong!
He likes a round of golf, and has a handicap of 7. But it’s not the thing that makes his heart sing.
Correct!
Well done! His passion is cricket. He was hugely involved in the redevelopment of Oval Cricket Ground, organising the Asia versus the Rest of the World match and sponsoring Bangladesh in the World Cup.
Wrong!
Though Shobha does make a damn fine tilapia fish curry with rice and cumin seed...
Congratulations
You've finished the quiz! Hopefully you've learned a little more about Veetee and its roots!
