Desi pub

ADesi pubis a Britishpubowned or managed by a landlord of Indian origin. Desi pubs generally servePunjabi foodwhile maintaining traditional British pub elements, such asaleandpub games. Desi pubs originated during the 1960s following widespread migration from the Indian subcontinent to the UK. The term "Desi" comes fromHindustani, and is derived from theSanskritword for "land" or "country". Desi pubs have been cited as a successful example ofcultural integrationbetween Asian and British communities.
The introduction of theBritish Nationality Act 1948following the breakup of theBritish Empireand the end of theSecond World Warprecipitated an increase in immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom from formerCommonwealthnations. Between 1951 and 1971, it is estimated that the British Indian population grew from around 30,000 to around 483,000.These new arrivals were not well received by some sections, and many establishments introducedcolour bars, including some pubs which had separate "white" and "coloured" rooms.In 1965, the human rights activistMalcolm Xwas invited byAvtar Singh Jouhlof the Indian Workers' Association to visit one such pub, the Blue Gates inSmethwick, nearBirmingham, to experience this discrimination and protest against racial segregation in the town.
Three years earlier, the first known landlord of Asian origin in a British pub, Sohan Singh, had taken over the Durham Ox inLeicester. The brewery that owned the pub had chosen an Indian manager as many of its clientele were from multi-ethnic backgrounds.In 1968, Hans Raj Dhanjal became the first Indian publican in theBlack Countrywhen he leased the Heart of Oak, aMitchells & Butlerspub inWhitmore Reans,Wolverhampton.These bars spread throughout the region during the 1970s, often taking over struggling traditional pubs and targeting them towards a new customer base.They came to be known as Desi pubs; the term "Desi" is borrowed fromHindustaniand is derived from theSanskritword for "land" or "country".
As the number of Desi pubs grew, several pubs which had previously been meeting places for racist groups such as theNational Frontor which had barred non-white customers eventually became Indian-owned, including the Blue Gates.Desi pubs also appeared further afield, including theGlassy JunctioninSouthall, west London, which accepted payments inIndian rupeesas well aspounds sterling.Most modern Desi pubs aregastropubs, serving Punjabi dishes such assaagandchicken tikkaand traditional British pub drinks such as beer and ale.The pubs are popular among people from different communities, including Caribbean, Somali and Eastern European.As of 2016, there were more than fifty Desi pubs in the Black Country.In 2024, the food criticJay Raynerwrote that Desi pubs "have now become symbols not of exclusion, but of inclusion".
In 2010, Desi pubs were the subject of aBBC Radio 4documentary presented by the Punjabi DJBobby Friction. It explored how the pubs had helped to bring diverse communities in the West Midlands closer together, and commented on alcohol-related illness among South Asian men.Creative Black Country, an arts collaborative based inWest Bromwich, collated an extensive body of media related to Desi pubs, including portrait photographs,pub signsandstained glasswindows.Part of the collection was displayed at theRoyal Festival Hallin 2016 as part of the Alchemy festival of South Asian culture,following which some of the signs and windows were installed in Desi pubs around the Black Country.
In his 2012 book on modern British history,Hope and Glory, the author and radio presenterStuart Maconiecalled the Desi pub "one of the most welcome additions to the Midlands high streets" and described the combination of Indian food and British beer as "a delicious tableau of integration".In 2024, theCampaign for Real Alecommissioned a documentary,Desi: A Pub Story.