Ambala Foods

History and overview

Ambala Foods Limited, also known as Ambala Sweets or simply Ambala, is a British company that makes South Asian sweets called Mithai, along with savoury snacks. The business was started in 1965 by Mohammed Ali Khan, who named it after his birthplace, Ambala, in the Indian state of Haryana. Khan began operating from his home in High Holborn in 1964, and the first shop opened on Drummond Street in London in 1965. It was among the first South Asian confectionery stores in Britain, appearing as South Asian food was becoming more popular across the country.

In 1968, Ambala added a second manufacturing site on Commercial Street in London, then moved to larger premises on Narrow Street in 1976. A bigger site in Hackney followed in 1986, and another in Stratford in 1995. In 2002, a factory in St Albans was bought for research and development. The company launched its website in 2005, around the time it began offering domestic and international deliveries.

That same year, 45 factory workers went on strike over low pay. In 2009, Ambala opened a modern, purpose-built manufacturing facility in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Since then, it has grown across the UK, reaching 22 branches by 2025, with 19 company-owned and 3 franchises. Even with more competition over the years, Ambala and its products remain popular with the British Asian community, especially for celebrations like Eid and Diwali, partly because the company uses fresh, high-quality ingredients.

While the range of sweet and savoury items is mostly similar across branches, some locations offer different selections. For example, the Slough branch has a wider variety of samosas and also sells curries, kebabs, and biryani. In late 2023, founder and sole shareholder Mohammed Ali Khan died at around age 85. In March 2025, Cake Box bought Ambala Foods for £22 million, with £16 million for the business itself and £6 million for the Welwyn Garden City factory.

Existing employees were kept on, and Andrew Boteler was appointed as a non-executive director. The purchase ended Ambala’s time as a family-owned business. Cake Box CEO Sukh Chamdal said the acquisition offers a chance to improve profitability and create synergies between Ambala and Cake Box.