Perween Warsi, a non-resident India, who runs a multi-million pound food empire, on Thursday won a lifetime achievement award and has been placed among Britain's ten most remarkable women.

Confederation of British Industry at a ceremony held at Hilton Hotel, London felicitated Warsi and other women achievers from different walks of life.

Warsi, who started her company, S&A Foods - named after her sons Sadiq and Abid - from her kitchen table, enjoys the honour of being one of the richest Asian woman in Britain.

Fourteen years ago, she started S&A Foods as a tiny cottage industry and developed it into a major enterprise. S&A has won some 20-awards for excellence in its products.

The daughter of a civil engineer in Bihar, she married Talib Warsi when she was 17. In 1975 they migrated to Britain, lived first in Wales and then Yorkshire, before moving to Derby, to the house in which they still live.

Warsi, 48, was inspired to start a cooking business after buying a 'tasteless samosa' from a local shop in Derby.

Today, the 'Samosa Queen' employs about 1300 people in four factories. Her business, S&A Foods, has an annual turnover of more than £100 million and has recently expanded her range of products by supplying Malaysian, Thai and Chinese food to British supermarkets like Asda, Safeway and Tesco.

It is estimated that her personal wealth is around £45 million.

According to Warsi the most important thing for a successful business career are 'clear vision and determination'.