Published: Monday 7 February 2022
Afghan evacuees have been serving up their favourite home-cooked cuisine during weekly sessions at a Kensington and Chelsea Council-owned kitchen.
Guests from the borough’s bridging hotels are using the professional facilities at one of the Council’s children’s centres to prepare traditional dishes they have been unable to cook since leaving Afghanistan last year.
The sessions are organised by the Council’s Hotel Outreach Teams and cater for 11 women each week, with participants provided with oils, seasoning, canned vegetables and other dried goods.
The meals, which include Kabuli palaw, palak, dal, fried fish and Bolani, are prepared during a full day of cooking before being taken back to the hotels to be shared with family and friends. As well as creating delicious meals, the participants are able to socialise and build new friendships with fellow Afghan women.
Kensington and Chelsea Council Leader Cllr Elizabeth Campbell said:
“The cooking and sharing of food is a cornerstone of family life the world over, and preparing these traditional dishes is a welcome link to home for evacuees who have been through so much and crave the comfort of familiar home-cooked meals.
“Kensington and Chelsea as a borough will continue to demonstrate its commitment to welcoming Afghan evacuees. The Council has placed children in schools, provided essential goods to families, and helped them open bank accounts, while our voluntary, community and faith organisations have stepped in to provide a compassionate humanitarian response.”
Gul, one of the participants, said:
“The kitchen is very clean and I am happy about the place. I joined this activity for the second time and will be happy to return. I cooked a lot of rice and food for my family.”