Biography
Abdul Aziz reached Birmingham around 1940 after working on a British Navy ship. There he met Violet, an Irish waitress at a café in Coleshill Street, whom their son David later remembered as Aziz's "rock" — the person who taught him English and helped him navigate British life. The couple settled on Ladywood Road and worked in factories to save capital.
In 1945, Aziz and Violet bought John's Restaurant on Steelhouse Lane. Over the following years, curry and rice were added to the menu. By 1954, the venue had become known as The Darjeeling, described in the "Knights of the Raj" research project as Birmingham's first proper curry house. The accurate version of his story is a two-stage one: John's Restaurant in 1945, The Darjeeling by 1954.
Aziz's importance extended beyond food. He trained later generations of restaurateurs, employed new Bangladeshi migrants as chefs and waiters, and often housed them in rooms above the restaurant. His connections to local solicitors, officers at Steelhouse Lane police station, and invitations to the Council House show that he had become both a businessman and a recognised community intermediary.
The full story of Aziz's life was documented through the "Knights of the Raj" heritage project (2016–18), funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and exhibited at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. His son David's testimony was central to that exhibition and to the BBC's feature coverage of Birmingham's curry history. His exact district of origin in present-day Bangladesh and his death date have not been confirmed in the sources reviewed.