Herman Sahota

Herman Sahota is a British entrepreneur of Punjabi heritage and co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, the master franchisee behind Wingstop UK. With no prior experience in the food and beverage industry, Herman and his co-founders identified a gap in the UK fast-casual dining market and, after hearing the Wingstop brand referenced in a Rick Ross rap, reached out cold to the American company’s leadership. After 18 months of persistence, they secured a 100-restaurant franchise agreement in 2017, opening the first UK site at Cambridge Circus, London in 2018.

Under Herman’s co-leadership, Wingstop UK grew rapidly by embedding itself deeply into British youth culture through authentic partnerships, celebrity collaborations, and a distinctive social media presence. The brand amassed over 500,000 TikTok followers and partnered with artists and cultural figures resonant with a young British audience. The company was recognised in the Financial Times FT 1000 as one of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses, and in the Sunday Times 100 as the fastest-growing restaurant group in the UK. Wingstop UK’s sales surged by 70% in 2023, reaching 57 sites nationally.

In December 2024, global investment firm Sixth Street acquired a majority stake in Lemon Pepper Holdings in a deal valued at over £400 million, with Herman and the other co-founders retaining minority shareholdings. Herman has since moved into investment through Grizzly Bear Capital. His story — from cold email to a nine-figure exit — has become emblematic of entrepreneurial determination and cultural intuition in the British startup ecosystem.