"One Of The Craziest Moments Of My Life": Akhil Patel On Serving Chai To PM Modi And Starmer
Indian-origin tea entrepreneur Akhil Patel recounted his experience of serving tea to Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer at Chequers, calling it a “surreal” moment.
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 42
- |
- From: India News Bull
Tea entrepreneur Akhil Patel experiences unforgettable moment at UK Prime Minister's residence
July 24 marked an extraordinary day for Indian-origin entrepreneur Akhil Patel as he served his signature masala chai to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the official country residence of the British PM. Photographs shared on PM Modi's X account show both leaders awaiting their tea at Patel's stall, with Mr. Patel dressed in traditional attire, pouring chai from a kettle into paper cups.
'Chai Pe Charcha' with PM Keir Starmer at Chequers...brewing stronger India-UK ties! @Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/sY1OZFa6gL
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025
In a recent Instagram video, the Amala Chai founder shared his astonishment at the experience. "I just got on Modi's Instagram!" he exclaimed, describing the events as "a quick recap of a surreal day." Patel explained he had been invited to serve tea at Chequers to commemorate the UK-India free trade deal, unaware he would be serving chai to high-profile government officials including the two prime ministers.
His stall attracted numerous dignitaries throughout the event, including UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who Patel noted "were loving it, coming back for multiple cups." Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also sampled his tea.
The pinnacle of the day came when PM Modi and PM Starmer approached his stall. "Then the big boys started coming my way, walking by the side of me and standing right in front of me, asking for a cup of chai," Patel recounted. After serving them, he cleverly remarked to PM Modi, "from one chaiwala to another," referencing Modi's well-known past as a tea seller.
"Possibly one of the craziest moments of my life, I just served chai to Modi and Starmer, and Starmer loved it," he added in his video.
In his Instagram caption, Patel wrote: "A quick recap of a surreal day. Yesterday, I was invited by @10downingstreet to serve chai at Chequers — to @narendramodi, @keirstarmer, and Indian & UK ministers. Can we just take a moment to realise how mad that is? There I was, in the UK Prime Minister's house, serving masala chai — and not one person wanted coffee. From one chaiwala to another, that was a special day. Right… I'm getting off the internet now to make a cup of chai."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Amala Chai | Masala Chai (@amala_chai)
Patel founded Amala Chai in 2019, inspired by his grandmother's recipe. The brand, described as "Chai That Feels Like Home," sources single-origin tea and spices directly from family farms in Assam and Kerala. In the six years since its launch, Amala Chai has expanded to five locations across London.