Our meals take place on Sundays and are led by local leaders. Other local people who come along to take part are members, and refugees are guests. At each meal there are 5 leaders, 10 members and 10 guests. Leaders and members each pay £5 to attend, covering the cost of their meal and that of a guest. 

Leaders set up the room with our meal kit and guide the meals and create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Our meals are designed to be a place of equals where refugees encounter friendliness, not hostility, and can practise their English, helping to address issues of isolation and loneliness. We know that local residents who attend also benefit from sharing a meal and stories with people different from them, and the sense of community and well being that brings.

Members and guests sit in pairs around three tables, with each table making a different recipe e.g. chickpea salad, tabbouleh and potato rostis. A leader guides the pairs through a seven-step recipe and at each stage, there’s a question, e.g. ‘What’s your favourite meal or ‘What was your favourite childhood game?’. The questions are designed to help people build understanding, and as they chop, cook, chat, and share food, meaningful interactions and connections flourish. Once each recipe has been prepared, we push all the tables together and eat the meal as one big group, then everyone cleans and washes up together at the end.

Meals take place in 8 cities across the UK - Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Croydon, Thornton Heath, Liverpool, Derby and Wakefield.