In 1948 the British Nationality Act was passed, conferring British citizenship on those who had previously been colonial subjects, giving them the right to live and work in Britain. Caribbean Islanders were promised jobs in manufacturing cities like Birmingham. For some, far from the prosperous lives they were expecting, new arrivals encountered well documented hardships.

Today the areas of Lozells and Handsworth in Birmingham are the places to visit for a Caribbean jerk chicken or Jamaican patty fix. The city's annual carnival in August is popular not only for the music, but the array of amazing food stalls serving mutton curry, roti and bun and cheese.