Asylum seekers and refugees cook food for the homeless and the hungry at the Kitchen of Hope in Portsmouth

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An appetite for the project emerged after asylum seekers living in an accommodation in Portsmouth began to miss their native dishes. They weren’t allowed to cook due to health and safety regulations and had little choice in the food they ate. Some joined a small project at a local church called ‘Food and Friendship’ where they could cook, eat and connect with the local community once a week. This later inspired the Kitchen of Hope.

Not only does the Kitchen of Hope allow asylum seekers and refugees to cook their traditional dishes, it also gives them the opportunity to give back to the community. The groups overall goal is to alleviate food poverty in the city and bring people together in a sustainable way by using local produce. The kitchen’s chefs have already cooked meals for the local homeless day service and they aim to provide food to different community groups each month.

The chefs are a range of nationalities including Sudanese, Syrian, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Tunisian and Zimbabwean, bringing a rich variety of international recipes to the table. The project facilitates a culture exchange between asylum seekers and the local recipients, bringing communities together through a shared love of food.

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