Karan Bilimoria, 44, founder and chief executive of Cobra Beer, popular for washing down chicken tikka masala, has been elevated to the House of Lords, it was announced today.
Bilimoria is the son of the late Lt General Faridoon (“Billy”) Bilimoria, who led his unit, 2nd Battalion of the 5th Gorkha Rifles, in the 1971 India-Pakistan conflict and retired in 1989 as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Army Command.
Although his son is best known for his beer, he has also a reasonably drinkable wine, General Bilimoria, named after his father.
Today, Bilimoria said he was both delighted and humbled by the peerage and added: “I look forward very much to contributing and participating in the work of the House, to working with my new colleagues and to serving my country as best as I can.”
He and his wife, Heather, have four young children — two sons and two daughters — who will now be able to have buttered crumpets with their father in the excellent House of Lords tea room (Lord Swraj Paul offers scones to his guests but keeps away from anything fattening himself).