What about…Hyat Syed, Kohinoor Ltd
Hyat Syed's first ever job was at a newsagents in New York, where his pay was two subway tokens per day. He now has much grander plans for Kohinoor Foods
Print16 August 2010
What’s your job title?
Managing director and founder
Your favourite grocery shop?
Donnybrook Fair, Cavistons, Glasthule in Ireland. Wholefoods, Kensington
How long is your typical working day?
I arrive at the factory at 7am following a half hour yoga session and leave at approx. 6pm, but also have a home office where I work in the evenings and weekends
How do you describe yourself?
Hardworking but passionate about my business and life in general
What’s your favourite Irish product?
St. Tolas Goats Cheese, Glenilen Farm Yoghurts, Caviston’s Clare Island Smoked Salmon
What’s your favourite brand, outside of the brands you represent?
Innocent
What piece of legislation would you introduce/change?
I would like to see Ireland bring in a more competitive minimum wage
What historical figure would you invite to dinner?
John F. Kennedy
The best gift you ever received?
A one of a kind painting of Killiney Hill overlooking the bay was commissioned and presented to me for my birthday by a very dear friend
What possession could you not live without?
My car
What was your first job?
I worked at a newsagent shop in Grand Central Station in New York. I had just turned thirteen and my pay was two subway tokens per day
What was your childhood dream/ambition?
To be a fighter pilot
What’s your ambition now?
To grow Kohinoor Foods to be the number one ethnic ready meal company in Europe and further afield. We have just launched a combination ethnic ready meal range which will grow our Balti House range in the retail market across European retailers and we are also expanding our Foodservice brand, Kohinoor foods
What’s the worst ad ever?
Hunky Dory’s crisps ad
What’s your favourite ad at the moment?
Glenisk Organic Yoghurt TV ad
Your favourite newspaper?
The Irish Times and the New York Times
Who is inspirational in Irish business?
Fergal Quinn
In your opinion what’s the next big thing?
A growth in ethnic food of course!
What (if anything) was the last thing you bought on the internet?
A new IT system to run the company’s updated version of the logistics software
What’s your pet hate?
Cheap, over processed Indian ready meals which claim to be authentic
What makes you laugh?
My kids
Three essential grocery items you’d take with you for a week on a desert island?
I would take some spices, and some rice to make a meal out of freshly caught fish
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