Multi-award-winning entrepreneur Sophia Choudry, the visionary founder of the global kitchen brand Roti Box, has expressed her profound heartbreak and concern after being subjected to racial abuse by children on a train. Ms Choudry, a known British-Pakistani figure and empowering speaker, shared a video of the incident, explaining her decision was driven by the urgent need to ensure "we can't normalise racism."
The shocking encounter has prompted Ms Choudry to speak out about a perceived "shift" in the national atmosphere. She directly connected her growing feelings of "unease" and her instinct to avoid groups of children—"I’ll cross the road. I just don’t want the trouble"—to the increased display of national symbols. "As soon as those flags went up, something changed in the wind, something didn't feel right," she stated, referencing the St George flags and Union Jacks raised in some parts of the country.
Appealing directly to parents, the entrepreneur stressed that the children involved "are the future," and voiced a hope that they are being taught "to treat everyone equally with respect regardless of colour."
The British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed they "take a zero tolerance approach to hate crime" and are urging witnesses to come forward. Separately, Transport for London (TfL) acknowledged their zero-tolerance policy on all abuse and confirmed they are investigating why Ms Choudry may not have received the necessary assistance during the incident.
The Woman Behind the Brand: Who is Sophia Choudry?
Sophia Choudry is a celebrated British-Pakistani entrepreneur, born in Sunderland in the North East of England. She is an active Director of ROTIWARE LTD, the company behind her viral kitchen invention, the Roti Box, a product she created that was inspired by a design from her immigrant father. Often referred to as the "Roti Queen," Ms Choudry has channeled her difficult personal history—having grown up facing racism as the "only brown girl" in her school—into a powerful mission of cultural pride and female empowerment.
Ms Choudry is a mother of two and a popular speaker and TV personality. Her entrepreneurial success, which has seen her company attract over 300 million video views, is paired with a strong commitment to philanthropy. Through her Roti Box "You Buy, We Donate" policy, she has helped feed over 11,000 families in refugee camps in Lebanon. Her experiences, including the recent train abuse, have been described as a "disgusting racial attack" that she has used as a "turning point" to redefine her life. She is a woman of resilience who openly shares the challenges of straddling two cultures, ensuring the survival of South Asian culinary tradition while building a global business.