Profile

Frank Khalid OBE is a businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He has followed his passion for family, food, football and film to become an award winning and celebrated business leader both here in the UK and internationally.

Born in 1968 in South East London, Frank left school and set up a wholesale business at the tender age of 16. Taking a small unit of 6,000 square feet in East London’s Stratford, it wasn’t long until Frank needed bigger premises and in 1985 moved to Barking occupying a 25,000 square foot warehouse. Ambitious and determined to expand the ‘Cash and Carry’ business, in 1993 Frank took on another unit, Elbrook in Mitcham, Surrey. He credits his father as the inspiration for wanting to run his own business having helped out in the family’s local convenience store.

A turn of events saw Frank have to put his business ambitions to keep expanding on hold. In 1994 his second child, Imran with wife Sajida (whom he married in 1989) was diagnosed with autism and as a result would need significant care and support in his formative years and throughout his life. Taking a step back to dedicate more time to his family’s increasing needs, Frank made the decision to lease out the Barking space and focused on the Elbrook Cash and Carry.

In 1996, having grown significantly, with annual turnover of £100 million Elbrook Cash and Carry was rewarded with inclusion in the Top 30 Wholesalers List by respected trade magazine, The Grocer.

An opportunity then arose for Frank to invest in banqueting and conference facilities, which were adjacent to the Elbrook Cash and Carry called ‘CHAK 89’. This investment paid off and CHAK89 is now a major player in the Asian Wedding Market.

With both Elbrook and CHAK 89 performing well and a property portfolio across London worth in excess of £30 million, Frank’s status as a successful entrepreneur was consolidated and he turned his efforts to philanthropy.

Having quietly supported his local community and a range of charities for years in 2009, Frank decided to hold a charity gala in aid of Autism Anglia, to help raise funds and awareness of the condition. Each year since, Elbrook has held a star-studded charity gala for a number of charitable causes and raised over £300K; one of which is the Asian Trust, where Frank has been a patron since 2007. The trust was set up by HRH Prince Charles and Asian business leaders to support the vision of a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people, and that is free from inequality and injustice.