At the start of the cycle of intensive and arduous work of a sugar cane plantation, the strongest labourers were set to clear and prepare the ground each year. The cane would take 15 to 18 months to ripen, with the soil needing to be regularly weeded and enriched with manure. Once cut, the cane was transported to the sugar mill where it was crushed between massive rollers to extract the juice. The juice was boiled in a series of copper kettles to form the crystals of raw muscovado sugar. Timing was crucial and any delay in the process could ruin production, and so the mill and boiler house operated 24 hours a day at sugar-making time.

Muscovado sugar was dark brown and sticky. In the early years of production, it was brought in its raw state to British sugar houses where it was turned into refined white crystallised sugar. This processing later took place in sugar houses set up in the colonies themselves. The refined sugar was shaped into loaves or cones and wrapped in paper dyed blue with indigo, another Caribbean product. Before Britain developed its sugar cane industry in the Caribbean, it had imported fully processed sugar from Portuguese plantations on the island of Madeira. Mass production in the colonies gradually brought the price of sugar down so it ceased to be an expensive luxury and became a staple item that consumers were reluctant to give up.

The following is a satirical poem, entitled 'Pity for Poor Africans', written by William Cowper and published in the Bristol Gazette on 12 June 1788.

I OWN I am shock'd at the purchase of slaves,
And fear those who buy them and sell them are knaves;
What I hear of their hardships, their tortures, and groans,
Is almost enough to draw pity from stones.

I pity them greatly, but I must be mum,
For how could we do without sugar and rum?
Especially sugar, so needful we see?
What, give up our desserts, our coffee, and tea!

Besides, if we do, the French, Dutch, and Danes
Will heartily thank us, no doubt, for our pains;
If we do not buy the poor creatures, they will,
And tortures and groans will be multiplied still.

If foreigners likewise would give up the trade,
Much more in behalf of your wish might be said;
But, while they get riches by purchasing blacks,
Pray tell me why we may not also go snacks?

Your scruples and arguments bring to my mind
A story so pat, you may think it is coin'd,
On purpose to answer you, out of my mint;
But I can assure you I saw it in print.

A youngster at school, more sedate than the rest,
Had once his integrity put to the test;
His comrades had plotted an orchard to rob,
And ask'd him to go and assist in the job.

He was shock'd, sir, like you, and answer'd, "Oh no!
What! rob our good neighbour! I pray you, don't go;
Besides, the man's poor, his orchard's his bread,
Then think of his children, for they must be fed."

"You speak very fine, and you look very grave,
But apples we want, and apples we'll have;
If you will go with us, you shall have a share,
If not, you shall have neither apple nor pear."

They spoke, and Tom ponder'd- "I see they will go;
Poor man! what a pity to injure him so!
Poor man! I would save him his fruit if I could,
But staying behind will do him no good.

"If the matter depended alone upon me,
His apples might hang till they dropp'd from the tree;
But, since they will take them, I think I'll go too,
He will lose none by me, though I get a few."

His scruples thus silenced, Tom felt more at ease,
And went with his comrades the apples to seize;
He blamed and protested, but join'd in the plan:
He shared in the plunder, but pitied the man.