Volunteer Chefs from Leicester Community create Global Kitchen Recipe Book.

Journeys Festival International, the UK’s first Festival of Sanctuary, has been working in partnership with Soft Touch Arts Leicester on a community initiative called Global Kitchen since 2018. Helping newcomers to the city to settle in, meet new friends and learn new skills. Global Kitchen brings communities together to share dishes from around the world that (were and will be again) enjoyed together at free community meals at the Soft Touch Arts Café on New Walk. Under the watchful eye and expert training from professional Chef, Linton Magume, these volunteers have learned the kitchen crafts and skills required to be able to share their favourite dishes from home with the people of Leicester in these friendly community gatherings.

Now, thanks to a successful campaign through crowdfunding platform Spacehive and with funding from the City Mayor, BID Leicester and local ward funding, these tasty recipes have been collated into one beautifully illustrated recipe book. It can be purchased so you can create these dishes and add to your own menus at home.

The Global Kitchen recipe book, with illustrations by Emma Dibben, photography from Tom Wren and Graphic Design by Libby Sidebotham, features some stunning designs and photography work. It also includes dishes from as far and wide as Zimbabwe, India, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iran. Bharti’s Onion and Spinach Bhajis are a wonderful side dish for everyone to enjoy and Farhad’s Chicken Pomegranate Stew or Cloud’s Tofu Stew are delicious dishes to serve up to your friends and family at home.

The proceeds from the sale of the Global Kitchen recipe book will be used to continue the good work of this project and to deliver more chef training and community meals when social distancing is a distant memory!

Christina Wigmore, Business Development Director at Soft Touch Arts said, “Settling in a new place can always be tough but particularly if English is your second language. It’s been heart-warming to see Global Kitchen help people make new friends, gain confidence in themselves and in the kitchen. We’re so excited to be able to share these dishes through the gorgeous Global Kitchen recipe book as now we can all enjoy a taste of dishes from around the world made in our very own kitchen.”

Bharti Negi, one of the community chefs went on to say, “The Global Kitchen project has been a wonderful way for me to get to gain new skills but also for my family and I to get to know new faces from around the area. The training sessions back in 2018 and 2019 were great fun to be part of and there is nothing more rewarding than sitting back and watching people enjoy your hard work and favourite dishes from home when we were able to share these at the community meals. We can’t wait to get the new sessions started when the restrictions will allow us and we hope that you enjoy learning these dishes in your very own Global Kitchen at home.”

The community chefs and partners, alongside those people who have been instrumental in making the recipe book possible, will be invited to a launch party as part of this year’s Refugee Week Celebrations (14-20 June). You’ll be able to pick up your own copy of the Global Kitchen recipe book from local independent retailers in Leicester from then.

You can head to www.journeysfestival.com to learn more about the Global Kitchen project and, from 14 June, you can pick up your own copy of the Global Kitchen recipe book. Sharpen up those kitchen knives and get ready to impress your guests with beautiful food from around the world thanks to local chefs and dishes from the Global Kitchen.