Davis West Indian Bakery - Soho Road

Description:Text: Rajinder Kumar Dudrah

One does not have to venture far on the Soho Road to see the variety of colours, to smell the different aromas and to feel the textures of several fruit and vegetables, and to taste the different breads and sweets from the Afro-Caribbean and Asian food stores that adorn the main street of Handsworth. Food travels - and in the case of the African-Caribbean and Asian food shops fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world can be found alongside British breakfast cereals.

The shops vary in sizes. They consist of small bakeries and shops, to medium-sized supermarkets, to a two-floor grocery and a clothing emporium, such as the Badial Department store. It is now common to find packets of cumin seeds and curry powder in one aisle and tomato ketchup and parsley in the next of mainstream supermarkets such as ASDA and Tesco’s. These larger stores are following examples of retail practice that the smaller African-Caribbean and Asian stores having been doing for years.