From her kitchen table Perween Warsi has built a multi-million- pound food empire. She tells Kate Thompson how she balances being a wife, mother and managing director of one of Britain's most successful firms...

PERWEEN Warsi admits there have been times when she has felt guilty as she juggled the responsibility of home and the boardroom.

It is a battle of conscience that will be familiar to every mother who works - but with the right support, the woman now dubbed "the Samosa Queen" believes mums can balance their responsibilities and flourish.

The 47-year-old boss of S&A Foods - named after her sons Sadiq and Abid - was guest speaker at a business seminar organised by the Institute of Directors at The Rose Bowl.

She was there to argue that women can break through the glass ceiling and make it in business but they have to be focused on what they want to achieve.

"Yes, there have been times when I have felt guilty that I should be at home with my sons and I have still been at the office.

"They used to finish early one day a week from school and I liked to be there to meet them with an apple or chocolate.

"I can still remember how it felt when I was still at the office as the clock approached three o'clock and I knew I would be late for them.

"The only way you can ever do something like this is with the support of your family - I have been very lucky that my husband and sons have always been very supportive," she said.

The daughter of a civil engineer in Bihar, north India, Perween married Talib Warsi when she was 17 in a traditional, arranged match.

In 1975, they came to Britain where Bihar was to work as a GP based in Derby.

"For the first few years I was at home bringing up my sons. It was when my boys were older that I had more time on my hands and I came up with the idea for the business," she said.

She was dismayed by the Indian food available at that time - especially the supermarket ranges - and she knew she could do better.

"The food was bland, boring and tasteless. I had always enjoyed cooking and I thought someone has to take responsibility to ensure British people get to eat authentic and good quality Indian food.

"I realised that someone could be me," she said.

She began by making samosas, chapatis and other finger foods for a takeaway and soon she had to take on others to help her.

As her confidence grew, Perween decided she wanted to create main meals for a mass market. She managed to get her recipes included in a blind tasting by Asda - and her meals came out top.

Her success meant she could no longer continue cooking at home - she had to find factory premises.

"It was a big step for me as I had no experience of running a business but I had a strong belief in what I was doing.

"We started producing for Asda and they saw a huge increase in their sales," she said.

S&A Foods now has a turnover of £80m, employs 800 and makes 1,500,000 meals a week. They make Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese and traditional English meals. They have contracts with British Airways, Shell garages, pub chains and supermarkets.

Perween has become the richest Asian woman in Britain and her personal wealth has been estimated at £45m.

Clearly Perween's success has been down to her commitment and drive but she gives plenty of credit to the expert management team and workforce she has gathered around her.

Perween has introduced many ways of ensuring everyone has a say within her company. She holds regular lunches with her workforce and has launched the Perween Careline - a confidential phoneline where employees can leave messages raising issues with her.

"We also want to encourage people to come up with ideas for the company. If an idea is implemented you get £50 and, at the end of the year, the best one wins £2,000."

She believes the so-called glass ceiling that stops women reaching their full potential could soon become a thing of the past.

"The glass ceiling is cracked and it won't take too much to break a hole in it - women just have to believe in themselves," she said.

PERWEEN'S TIPS FOR REACHING THE TOP:

1) Be clear about your goals and have a positive outlook and attitude.

2) Self-belief is critical. Match inspiration with courage, determination and commitment to make things happen.

3) Take advantage of technology to help your business and organise your day

4) Invest in yourself and the skills you need to run your company.