Somali Kitchen Family Cooking

Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Trinity collaborated with the local community organisation Somali Kitchen and creative collective YESIDub to programme a series of free-to-access family cooking sessions for local families. The sessions aimed to create a space for connections by exploring Somali culture through food and play.

“I like going to school and coming here afterwards, playing with my mum and cooking”

Taking place over six sessions at Trinity, the team at Somali Kitchen led workshops in cooking traditional Somali food, including ‘Soor’, a dish that is accompanied by a tasty vegetable sauce. Children also had opportunities to get involved with their parents and they learned how to prepare and cook fresh vegetables. Alongside this, YESIDub facilitated the ‘arts corner’, a space for children and parent/carers to take part in craft, games and play activities. Trinity’s Community Producer was on hand throughout to help support the sessions.

The project was a great success, welcoming 11 children alongside their parents/carers. All the families told us that they really enjoyed taking part in cooking and facilitated play. They also shared how they have learned how to cook new dishes including vegetable curry and pancakes. Children shared that they really enjoyed experiencing new things such as chopping the ingredients and sharing their cooking with the group.

The sessions are delivered as part of the wider-inactive Eastside People and Places that is connecting people, reducing loneliness and isolation and helping people feel included and welcome through community-based activity.