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Desi pub is a colloquial term used in the United Kingdom to describe a public house which is owned or managed by a landlord of Indian origin. These establishments generally serve Punjabi food while maintaining elements of the traditional British pub, such as ale and pub games. The concept of the Desi pub originated during the 1960s following widespread migration from the Indian subcontinent to the UK. Desi pubs have been cited as a successful example of cultural integration between Asian and British communities.

History

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The Blue Gates pub in Smethwick, visited by Malcolm X in 1965, later became a Desi pub

The introduction of the British Nationality Act 1948 following the breakup of the British Empire and the end of the Second World War precipitated a marked increase in the number of immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom from former Commonwealth nations. Between 1951 and 1971, it is estimated that the British Indian population grew from just over 30,000 to around 483,000.[1] These new arrivals were not well received by some sections of society and many establishments introduced colour bars, including some pubs which had separate "white" and "coloured" rooms.[2] In 1965, human rights activist Malcolm X was invited by Avtar Singh Jouhl of the Indian Workers' Association to visit one such pub, the Blue Gates in Smethwick, near Birmingham, to experience this discrimination first-hand and protest against racial segregation in the town.[2][3]

Three years earlier, the first known landlord of Asian origin in a British pub, Sohan Singh, had taken over at the Durham Ox in Leicester. The brewery which owned the pub had apparently chosen an Indian manager for it as many of its clientele were from multi-ethnic backgrounds.[2] In 1968, Hans Raj Dhanjal became the first Indian publican in the Black Country when he leased the Heart of Oak, a Mitchells & Butlers pub in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton.[4] These bars spread throughout the region during the 1970s, often taking over struggling traditional pubs and targeting them towards a new customer base.[5][6] They came to be known as Desi pubs; the term "Desi" is borrowed from Hindustani and is derived from the Sanskrit word for "land" or "country".[7]

The Glassy Junction, a former Desi pub in Southall, west London, accepted payments in Indian rupees

As the number of Desi pubs grew, several pubs which had previously been meeting places for racist groups such as the National Front or which had barred non-white customers eventually became Indian-owned themselves, including the Blue Gates.[2][8] Desi pubs also appeared further afield, including the Glassy Junction in Southall, west London, which accepted payments in Indian rupees as well as pounds sterling.[2] Most modern Desi pubs are gastropubs, serving Punjabi dishes such as saag and chicken tikka as well as traditional British pub drinks like beer and ale.[5][9] Although Indian-owned, the pubs are popular with people from all different communities, including Caribbean, Somali and Eastern European.[8][9] As of 2016, there were more than fifty Desi pubs in the Black Country area.[5]

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In 2010, Desi pubs were the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary presented by Punjabi disk jockey Bobby Friction. The programme explored how the pubs had helped to bring diverse communities in the West Midlands closer together, but also commented on the issue of alcohol-related illness among South Asian men.[10] Creative Black Country, an arts collaborative based in West Bromwich, has collated an extensive body of media related to Desi pubs, including portrait photographs, pub signs and stained glass windows.[6] Part of the collection was displayed at the Royal Festival Hall in 2016 as part of the Alchemy festival of South Asian culture,[8] following which some of the signs and windows were installed in Desi pubs around the Black Country.[5]

In his 2012 book on modern British history, Hope and Glory, author and radio presenter Stuart Maconie called the Desi pub "one of the most welcome additions to the Midlands high streets" and described the combination of Indian food and British beer "a delicious tableau of integration".[11]

References

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  1. ^ Schaefer, Richard T. (1976). "Indians in Great Britain". International Review of Modern Sociology. 6 (2): 305–327. JSTOR 41420610.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jesudason, David (21 April 2022). "The Triumphant Story of Britain's Desi Pubs". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Malcolm X's visit to Smethwick remembered in pictures". BBC News. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  4. ^ Cooper, David (7 March 2021). "Birth of a cultural revolution". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham, England. p. 8. Gale A654114480.
  5. ^ a b c d Bains, Sanjeeta (17 September 2016). "Punjabi signs to be put up at Desi pubs in Black Country". Birmingham Mail. Birmingham, England. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b "A story of East meets West Midlands". Arts Council England. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  7. ^ Jesudason, David (2 June 2021). "Desi Style — The History and Significance of England's Anglo-Asian Pubs". Pellicle Magazine. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b c R.V. (22 August 2016). "Raising a glass to Britain's Indian pubs". The Economist. Retrieved 12 May 2022. (subscription required)
  9. ^ a b Bains, Sanjeeta (3 September 2019). "How 'desi' pubs are breathing life into city boozers". Birmingham Mail. Birmingham, England. p. 14. Gale A598190119.
  10. ^ Mahoney, Elisabeth (10 August 2010). "Radio review: Desi Pubs". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. ^ Maconie, Stuart (2012). Hope and Glory: A People's History of Modern Britain (e-book). London, England: Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4090-0575-9.
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