Gulam Noon
Encyclopedia
Gulam Kaderbhoy Noon, Baron Noon MBE
(born 1936) is a British
businessman originally from India
. He is of Rajput
extraction.
, London
, specialising in Indian cuisine. His main business has been Noon Products, which he established in September 1987, manufacturing chilled and frozen ready meals, predominantly for UK supermarkets, mainly in the Indian and Thai ready meal categories. In 2005 Noon Products was taken over by Irish food conglomerate Kerry Group
. In 1994 a fire in his factory destroyed everything, however within 10 weeks of this fire the company had begun selling its products again. He kept all his staff in employment during this period.
In the Sunday Times Rich List 2006 he was placed in 888th position with an estimated fortune of £65 million.
In March 2006 he came to wider notice as one of the businessmen embroiled in the "Cash for Peerages
" scandal when it emerged that he had loaned £250,000 to the Labour Party (UK)
. He was given an MBE for services to the food industry in 1994 (under a Conservative government) and knighted in 2002. It was widely implied that Sir Gulam had been given a knighthood, and promised a further peerage, in return for lending money to and hosting fundraisers for the Labour Party.
He was a declared backer of the former Britain in Europe
group, a pro-European
pressure group.
He was a "castaway" on the BBC Radio 4
programme Desert Island Discs
in 2004.
He is also known as "Curry King" of Britain.
He was awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of East London
on 12 November 2009.
He is a trustee
of the Maimonides Foundation
, a charitable organisation promoting dialogue between Jews and Muslim
s.
(M.B.E.) on the 1996 New Year Honours
list. He was later made a Knight Bachelor
on the 2002 Birthday Honours list.
In January 2011, he was created a life peer
as Baron Noon, and he will be introduced
in the House of Lords
on 31 January 2011, where he will sit on the Labour benches.
by terrorists, during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but was rescued and later appeared on BBC News to describe his experiences. He subsequently praised the response by India's Muslim community
to the attacks, saying:
He also called for Britain to toughen measures against extremist Muslim preachers, and said that the door was open for foreign imam
s to radicalise young Muslims in mosques across Britain:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1936) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
businessman originally from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
extraction.
Career
He has founded and operated a number of food product companies in SouthallSouthall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, specialising in Indian cuisine. His main business has been Noon Products, which he established in September 1987, manufacturing chilled and frozen ready meals, predominantly for UK supermarkets, mainly in the Indian and Thai ready meal categories. In 2005 Noon Products was taken over by Irish food conglomerate Kerry Group
Kerry Group
Kerry Group , is a public food company headquartered in Ireland. It is quoted on the Dublin ISEQ and London stock exchanges. It evolved initially from a local dairy co-op in the Munster region of Ireland...
. In 1994 a fire in his factory destroyed everything, however within 10 weeks of this fire the company had begun selling its products again. He kept all his staff in employment during this period.
In the Sunday Times Rich List 2006 he was placed in 888th position with an estimated fortune of £65 million.
In March 2006 he came to wider notice as one of the businessmen embroiled in the "Cash for Peerages
Cash for Peerages
Cash for Honours is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007 concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages...
" scandal when it emerged that he had loaned £250,000 to the Labour Party (UK)
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. He was given an MBE for services to the food industry in 1994 (under a Conservative government) and knighted in 2002. It was widely implied that Sir Gulam had been given a knighthood, and promised a further peerage, in return for lending money to and hosting fundraisers for the Labour Party.
He was a declared backer of the former Britain in Europe
Britain in Europe
Prior to August 2005, Britain in Europe was the main British pro-European pressure group. Despite connections to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, it was a cross-party organisation with supporters from many different political backgrounds...
group, a pro-European
Pro-European
Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the idea of European unification and generally supports further 'deepening' of European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies.-The Pro-European...
pressure group.
He was a "castaway" on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
in 2004.
He is also known as "Curry King" of Britain.
He was awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
on 12 November 2009.
He is a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Maimonides Foundation
Maimonides Foundation
The Maimonides Foundation is a UK-based organization focused on ordinary Jewish-Muslim communication. It is committed to fostering relationships among believers of the Abrahamic faith. Established in 1995, the foundation has created links between the two peoples through "cultural, academic,...
, a charitable organisation promoting dialogue between Jews and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s.
Honours
Noon was made a Member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(M.B.E.) on the 1996 New Year Honours
1996 New Year Honours
- Life Peers :* Sir David Howe Gillmore, GCMG – former Head of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service.* Sir Robert Kilpatrick, CBE – lately President, General Medical Council.* Dick Taverne, QC – President, PRIMA Europe Limited.- Privy Counsellors :...
list. He was later made a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
on the 2002 Birthday Honours list.
In January 2011, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Noon, and he will be introduced
Introduction (House of Lords)
Introduction is a ceremony in the House of Lords whereby new members are "introduced" to the existing membership. Introductions in the Lords are more elaborate than those in the House of Commons.-Origins:...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 31 January 2011, where he will sit on the Labour benches.
Views on Islamism
Noon was among those trapped in the Taj Mahal Palace HotelTaj Mahal Palace & Tower
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this building is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms...
by terrorists, during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but was rescued and later appeared on BBC News to describe his experiences. He subsequently praised the response by India's Muslim community
Islam in India
Islam is the second-most practiced religion in the Republic of India after Hinduism, with more than 13.4% of the country's population ....
to the attacks, saying:
He also called for Britain to toughen measures against extremist Muslim preachers, and said that the door was open for foreign imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s to radicalise young Muslims in mosques across Britain: