Meet the Migrateful Chefs
We’re proud to have chefs from over 25 different countries in the Migrateful family, each bringing unique skills, knowledge and recipes.
Knowledge and passion from around the world.
Scroll down to find out a bit more about our chefs, including their food, culture and the stories that brought them to the UK. We work with refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers from all around the world, and they are all waiting to teach you their delicious international cuisines in fun, easy and engaging cookery classes.
Jump to one of our cities to see all the chefs who graduated in the past:
London Chefs – Bristol Chefs – Kent Chefs – Brighton Chefs – Online Chefs
MEET THE MIGRATEFUL CHEFS TEACHING IN-PERSON CLASSES
London chefs
My name is Belitha. I come from Congo, DRC. I was born in the capital called Kinshasa. I studied communications at university. I speak Lingala and French and I have been learning English since I arrived in the UK five years ago. I live alone and my whole family is in Congo. I joined Migrateful to meet new people, improve my English and share dishes from my country.
I learned to cook when I was young by watching my mum when she cooked for my family. My aunty Madeleine, who we called Mado, had a restaurant in Kinshasa. I learned from her how to make sure the dishes are perfectly seasoned. She passed away and I think of her often when I cook the recipes she taught me.
I love to cook and feed people. I like to create new recipes and try new ingredients from my country like cassava leaves, fumbua and green beans from Goma. My favourite foods to cook are fish and all kinds of meat and vegetables because I believe they prevent illness. In my country, we say “la guérison est dans l’assiette” which means “healing is on the plate”.
My name is Randa. I was born in Syria but grew up on the coast of Brazil. My parents moved to Brazil when I was two years old.
I arrived in the UK in 2019 to begin a new life with my children. I lived half my life in Lebanon. I was a physical education teacher in Lebanon and I had been a professional swimmer and surfer in Brazil.
I have five children and I can speak five languages – Portuguese, Arabic, English and Spanish and even a little bit of French.
I am a passionate cook. I especially love confectionery. I actually have a degree in pastry and confectionery. I like the creativity, the design, the art and the skill involved.
I joined Migrateful hoping I can improve my cooking and presentation skills. I would really like to teach cooking, so Migrateful is the perfect place to learn how to do this.
I am a social person and I love to make people happy and I hope my cooking and my classes will make them happy!
My name is Charity. I am of Nigerian origin and part of the Igbo/Igo people (an ethnic group in Nigeria). I was born in Lagos but have been living in the UK for the past 10 years and this is home now. I’m the mother of three girls, age 23, seven and four and live with them and my husband in London. My husband is also a chef. My girls keep me busy!
My mother died when I was very little and I was brought up by my grandmother who was my backbone. She gave me courage and wisdom to become something in life. She always told me how smart I was and I have always been the first person to ask a question. My grandmother also taught me how to cook.
I come from a big family and love nothing more than cooking for them. I’m always pushed into the kitchen by all my family who love my food. Outside food I love watching films, particularly horror films and comedies. As well as cooking, I love dancing and music and am going to play some Nigerian music in my Migrateful classes, so feel free to dance along.
I heard about Migrateful through another charity called WINGS which supports women and children that don’t have status in the UK. I cook for the staff and volunteers at WINGS and my jollof rice is very popular there.
My name is Fatima and I am from Iran. I came to England in 2022 with my husband and my six year old twin boys. We left everything behind in Tehran to come here.
In Iran, I studied food science at university and worked for a medical company and then became a nail technician.
I didn’t start seriously cooking until I got married. It was then that I fell in love with cooking. I love experimenting with food. My favourite ingredient is saffron – I use it in lots of dishes – rice, ice cream, cake, sweets and even tea!
I love the diversity of Iranian food – every city has its own local dishes. In the north, we grow a lot of rice, so you’ll find this on every menu. In the south, seafood and spices feature. Meat and chicken are popular everywhere.
By sharing these dishes, I hope to recreate fond memories I have of Iranian food and culture. Iranian people are very hospitable. I’m happy to welcome you to my class, to give you a taste of the country and people.
My name is Guncha. I am from Turkmenistan and am particularly proud of the hospitality of its people, and my beautiful country.
I arrived in the UK in 2004 with my two children and husband. I grew up in a big family of five children and had a very happy childhood in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital; one of the main countries on the Silk Road. Both my parents are doctors and I am very proud of my father who has saved many people’s lives. In Turkmenistan, I lectured on pedagogical subjects. I am passionate about food and love singing and dancing. I play a traditional instrument called dutar which is made from Mulberry wood and has two strings.
Being a migrant arriving in a new country is very difficult as you have to start your life from scratch. I love the UK but still miss Turkmenistan and our delicious food which I want to share with you in my classes.
My name is Maral. I’m from Turkmenistan and I’m excited to share my favourite traditional food with you. Turkmenistan used to be a part of the Soviet Union. It has borders with Iran and Afghanistan and shares much delicious food culture with those countries.
I started cooking at a young age with my grandmother. She was an amazing cook. I lived with her for a few years and I loved watching her cook usually early in the morning. When I moved out, that’s when I started doing things myself. Her cooking inspired me and I love to serve the recipes I learned from her and recreate a taste of home.
Cooking is a form of meditation for me. It’s a good way to feel relaxed. Many of my recipes are prepared together with friends and family. I believe that sharing and preparing food together is a great environment to build connections. By cooking together I hope we can also create space for stories as well as create a delicious feast that we will share together at the end. You can probably tell that I am very proud of traditional Turkmen food and my culture and I am looking forward to teaching you about it.
Hello, My name is Sefanit and I am Ethiopian. I was born in the northern part of Ethiopia and grew up in a beautiful mountainous region. When I first moved to London in 2000, as a young girl, life was difficult. I was alone and I found it hard to adjust. I’ve had some ups and downs but I’m now settled and London is my home. I live here with my 11-year-old daughter who is the love of my life.
I was lucky to have the chance to return regularly to Ethiopia and to learn to cook with my mother and grandmother. Ethiopia is a big part of my life. The colours, smells and community of my childhood are still with me and in me. In Ethiopia, food is everything and I can think of nothing better than sharing my delicious vegan and vegetarian food and culture with you.
My name is Lola and I am from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. I am the eldest of four. My neighbour taught me to cook; my parents did not have much time to make food for us so I started to cook at 10 years old. My mother began to promise cakes to the neighbourhood behind my back – sometimes I could hardly sleep because I had so many orders!
Dushanbe is a very beautiful and green city surrounded by mountains. I have fond memories of the tulips – my name means ‘tulip’ in Tajik. I feel most at home in the Tajik mountains. They are a place of power for me.
In 2014, my parents wanted to move to Russian Siberia. I did not want to leave my life in Dushanbe, but in Tajik culture, until you are married, you must live with your family so I had to follow. When the war with Ukraine broke out, I finally decided to leave for the UK.
Even though the UK does not have the same mountains as Tajikistan, the sea reminds me of home.
My name is Sanobar and I am from the ancient city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It is in the middle of the Silk Roads, which means it has been a crossroads for trade and remains a melting pot of different cultures. The food culture is very colourful, taking ingredients and flavours from many cuisines. My family is Tajik, so this is the food I have grown up with and will teach in my classes.
I learned to cook from a very young age from my mother and grandmother. The village where I grew up had cows, sheep, fruits and vegetables and all of my favourite recipes are based on fresh ingredients. I have nine siblings. My mother was our hero feeding her large family every day.
Cooking for my family also brings me great joy and I would love to share my recipes with you. Palav is a traditional rice dish that in 2016 was designated ‘King of Meals’ by UNESCO – after more than 1000 years since its creation it has been recognised as part of central Asia’s cultural heritage.
My name is Chinju and I am from Kerala in the South of India. I am from a small family – parents and one sister – and I was brought up in a village where my parents are farmers.
I learned cooking from both my mother and my father, but in different ways. I would watch my mother as she made everyday dishes – such as breakfast of Puttu (boiled ground rice and coconut) with chickpea curry. My father taught me to cook different spicy foods like chicken curry.
After school I studied Indian dancing at university, with degree and post-grad qualifications. When I joined the dance programme and shared accommodation with fellow students the cookery training from my parents was a blessing (or a curse!) as my friends had me grate coconut every day – I was the only one who knew how to do this! We made coconut chutney and mango pickle to spice up our cheap and simple meals!
My husband is my rock. I am here because of him. He and my family mean the world to me.. I came to the UK to work as a home carer about a year ago, with the ambition to build a career here and for my husband to be able to join me. My first job did not work out well and with support from the Salvation Army I was introduced to Migrateful. I hope my journey with Migrateful and cooking my food from Kerala will enable me to build a new life in the UK.
My name is Kamilla Taisumova. I come from Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. Chechnya is a small country in the south of Russia. Its population is 1.5 million people.
I was young when I got married at 18 years old. Up until that point, I could not cook. My aunts and my mum helped me to cook and so did my husband. My mum and my husband are very good cooks!
After getting married I moved to Norway and my husband taught me to cook. I have six children – the eldest child is 14 and the youngest is three years old.
When I was a child, I dreamt that I would be a chef and my grandmother always believed I would be a chef one day. I am sure she would be very proud of me.
I lived in Norway for seven years and had four children there. I went back to Chechnya and then we moved to the UK in 2019.
I found out about Migrateful from the place where I learned English. My teacher told me about it. When Migrateful called to say I had got a place, I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy.
My name is Halima and I am originally from the Southern part of Nigeria. Nigeria is famous for its vibrant and friendly energy usually expressed through Pidgin English, a grammatically simplified or “broken” version of English spoken on the streets.
In Nigeria, I was an HR manager and ran my own catering company before I sought refuge in the UK. It was a huge journey to restart my life here. I currently live with my son and we are at peace and happier than we have ever been. When I’m not at Migrateful, I volunteer at my local Oxfam shop.
My passion for cooking comes from my mum. She once wanted to have a catering business of her own. I was an early bird in my mum’s kitchen helping her from age 8; her little assistant if you may. Being a really curious person, I wanted to try and cook more. When I cook I always hear my mum’s voice. My favourite dishes to cook are Poundo Yam and native Jollof Rice, both really delicious Nigerian specialities. I love cooking because food brings people together and I love seeing how happy people are when they eat my food. I also hope to inspire other women to pursue their passions and to live freely and happily.
I am Meriam Djabbar and I come from the centre of Algeria. Algeria is the biggest country in Africa and we have lots of different influences. It is located in North Africa between Morocco and Tunisia. In Algeria, I was a firefighter and paramedic. I worked for 13 years and I really loved my job.
I came to England in 2018 with my husband and my kids to find a new life. When I arrived here it was very difficult for me because I had never spoken English before – only French and Arabic. It was so difficult to communicate with people. I was determined to go forward. I went to college to learn English. It was brilliant for me. Now although I am not fluent, I understand most things.
I learned how to cook from my mum when I was about 10 years old and it has always brought me so much joy. My dream is to be a chef. I watched Masterchef on TV and I used to dream that I would be part of it. I sent an email to Masterchef and I said I wanted to participate but they said I couldn’t because I didn’t have the right to remain. However, they sent me details of Migrateful. I found a door and it opened for me with Migrateful. It is important to never lose hope.
My kids encourage me to cook really well. Every night my kids say “Mum, you’re the best chef,’ and that makes me strong. I believe in myself more. It makes me want to keep inspiring them. Maybe one day I’ll still get on Masterchef, if not, maybe a food business where people can enjoy delicious Algerian food can also be nice!
My name is Tamika Jones. I am from Kingston, Jamaica. Food in Jamaica is influenced by all the different nationalities that settled there – Irish, British, French, Asian, Spanish, American and African. Everyone wants to live in Jamaica because it is such a beautiful island! A lot of our ingredients come from other parts of the world.
I developed a passion for cooking, watching and helping my grandmother from the age of 8 years old. She was a great cook and baker. On Sundays, she would gather all of us, her granddaughters, to eat together. Rice and peas are one of our special Sunday meals. Our home was always full of people. Even though we were poor, my grandmother was always feeding everyone. There were always people coming over to our house for my grandmother’s food. I remember the day she let me cook was one of the best days of my life. It really boosted my confidence, like I can do anything! Before leaving Jamaica, I used to cook from home and sell food for a living. My food was very popular and I really enjoyed doing it.
When I moved to the UK, I worked in a Caribbean restaurant for many years. My coleslaw was famous at the restaurant! One day I would love to own my own Jerk centre and franchise it – like Nando’s.
Now, I live in London and I am looking forward to teaching you how to cook Jamaican food.
My name is Najee. I am from Panjshir in Afghanistan and grew up in a big family in the country’s capital city, Kabul.
I would spend my time walking and exploring the historical places in the city and became interested in art and architecture. I started drawing when I was very young and my work depicts traditional life in Afghanistan.
I always see art in food. When I am cooking, I don’t just consider the taste. Food has to look good and I spend time designing its presentation.
I realised that I had a talent for cooking when I was a teenager when friends invited me to their homes – not as a guest, but to cook for them!
I am very proud of Afghan food. We don’t have a lot of ingredients but the care we take in preparing food makes it one of the tastiest cuisines in the world. In my class, I have used my art to create a feast for your tastebuds and your eyes.
I was born in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, also known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. I come from a city called Slave Island, a diverse neighbourhood which, in the old days, had residents from Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Africa. I really started to love cooking after starting as a kitchen porter in a hotel restaurant in 2016. Recognizing my interest in food and culinary skills, colleagues encouraged me to become a chef.
I enrolled in a hotel school to study culinary arts, balancing my studies with restaurant work. Promotions followed, from trainee commis chef to line cook – mastering sauces, fish filleting, and meat preparation. Seeking further experience, I spent a year working in a hotel restaurant in Qatar before settling in the UK. Now, a year later, the UK feels very much like home.
I owe my kitchen skills to my grandmother, whom I eagerly assisted as a teenager. Beyond the kitchen I love swimming, football and music, particularly Elton John’s “Sacrifice,” which reminds me of my father’s sacrifices whilst working in Saudi Arabia to support my family.
My name is Faten, I am from the Syrian city of Homs. I was born in Homs and lived there all my life. Homs is famous for Palmyra which is an ancient city dating back to the Neolithic period.
I am married with three children and I am a housewife. I have been living in the UK for three and a half years.
I enjoy reading children’s stories which helps me with my English. In Syria I enjoyed playing tennis.
My Mum taught me to cook after I married. I married when I was young. I used to call my Mum to get her to help me with recipes. But sometimes when she wasn’t home, I had to cook by myself. I remembered ingredients and the taste and I experimented until I was happy.
I enjoy working with Migrateful because I have made new friends and I like cooking and trying different foods.
I’m KTK from Pakistan. I’ve been here since 2019, moving to London in 2022. I’m very proud of the generosity and hospitality of Pakistani food and culture. If you visited, you wouldn’t want to leave.
I joined Migrateful because I love cooking and feeding people. I know the way to the heart is through sharing good food and it brings me great joy to share my country’s delicious food.
I’ve overcome very challenging circumstances since I arrived in the UK and grown so much stronger and more independent than I thought possible. Previously, I wasn’t valued by those for who I had sacrificed my life by moving here, but time is teaching me my true value.
My first language is Pashto, I also speak Urdu & Arabic, and have been learning English since 2022. I offer Pashto interpretation for a charity as previously when I really needed this service it wasn’t available, so I know how important this is to others.
Hello, my name is Hero. I came to England in 2016 from the war in Iraq. During my journey here I lived in the refugee camp in Dunkirk with my daughter and son who has Down syndrome. I’ll never forget the day the UK Home Office called and said I could come and stay with my brother in Sheffield. I am very lucky.
My favourite dish to cook is Dolma – made with meat or vegetables. I cooked Dolma in the refugee camp for the volunteers who were helping me. It made me so happy to share my Kurdish food with them. One of my favourite memories at Dunkirk was when a volunteer named Lolita would take me and my family out, to shower, go to the park and wash clothes. She was the one who helped buy all the ingredients I needed to make Dolma. It was a very special moment for me.
I moved to London in 2020. I am improving my English, my son is in school every day and my daughters are in good colleges.
I wanted to become a Migrateful chef because I love to cook and meet people. When I cook, I forget my problems and it makes me happy. I’m excited to share my delicious Kurdish food with you.
Hello, I’m Sammy, I’m from Nicaragua, the biggest country in Central America. I arrived in the UK in August 2021. I was a medical student back home but due to the socio-political crisis in my country, I was forced to flee, to leave my studies, my friends, my family and everything I knew. It’s like I never existed.
But here I am in a new country, with new friends and a new great family called Migrateful. Migrateful gives us hope. It brings people from everywhere together like a family. It is good to have a place to come home to. I believe that if people keep moving, they would not be able to build a good life. In my class, we have created a little Nicaragua, where the food is very varied and above all delicious. Here, you will find everything Nicaraguan, from a good Latin dance to the best dessert you have ever tasted. I look forward to meeting you and having a great time in the kitchen together. See you in the kitchen soon.
My name is Yasemin and I’m from Turkey. I came to the UK two years ago. I am married with two children, a boy and a girl.
I love to cook for my family, friends, neighbours and visitors. I began to cook at home with my mother and learnt traditional Turkish recipes from her. I love making different types of food from pasta to cakes to traditional Turkish food. I did a cookery course in Turkey and now learning more by watching famous Turkish chefs such as Oktay Usta on YouTube. Sometimes I cook and sell food to raise money for a children’s charity.
I studied early years education and history at university and worked as a teacher in Turkey and Tanzania, where I lived for 8 years. I am excited to be sharing my passion for delicious food and for teaching with you in my classes. I hope you will enjoy the experience. You will also be helping me on my way to my dream: to become a professional chef and to open my own restaurant.
Hi I’m Cristina. I’m from the province of Bulacan which is close to Manila in The Philippines. I love to cook. My favourite thing to make is Inangit, sticky rice with coconut milk. This was my mother’s favourite dish and she passed it down to me. I’m the eldest of 4 and my mother taught how to cook perfect rice when I was 7 so that I could cook for my siblings when she went to work. I’m excited to share Filipino food with people in this country. Teaching a class and sharing my food and my culture with new people fills me with joy and brings back so many happy memories of the home I had to leave behind.
Hi! I’m Jahan. We have three ethnicities in my city: Tamal, Singalese and Muslim. We all live together in this city and share 90% of the same food. My dad owned a restaurant in my city. So from the age of 10, I cooked together with my family for the guests. Everything was homemade. We never bought curry powder from the shop. We made it from scratch. It was a restaurant for locals. My father was a very good cook. From a very young age I watched my father cooking and that’s how I learnt.
I love cooking Sri Lankan food. Sri Lankan cuisine has been shaped by many historical and cultural factors. Contact with foreign traders who brought new food items, cultural influences from neighbouring countries as well as the local traditions of the country’s ethnic groups have all helped shape Sri Lankan cuisine. Influences from Indian (particularly South Indian), Indonesian and Dutch cuisines are particularly evident.
Hi, I’m Meral and I’m from Turkey, which is the cradle of many ancient civilisations. It is a country that consists of seven idyllic regions. Geographically diverse, it can be winter in one region whilst it is summer in another. Luckily, I have had the chance to live in different areas of the country, so I have an enormous repertoire of food that appeals to all palates.
While I was working as a Food Engineer in Turkey, I saw many poor food hygiene practices in the food industry, so I decided to make healthy and natural food for my children. I have realised that I like bringing science and food together like an alchemist. I make all my yoghurt, cheese, pickle, kefir and sausage at home myself.
I had to move to the UK with my husband and three children, because of political problems in Turkey. I have been here for three years.
Because of the current president of Turkey, the freedom of our country has been reduced. I can no longer travel to Turkey, but I will take you there to taste the best dishes because I’ll be cooking them with you.
Hi, I’m Yogi and I’m from Sri Lanka.
I arrived to the UK 12 years ago and I didn’t even know how to make a cup of tea! I depended on my friends to cook for me. So alone in the UK, I had to learn from scratch. My teacher was my mother who instructed me over the phone. Gradually, I learnt to recreate the tastes and smells of home. Now I cook for neighbours and friends and I’m very popular – they love my tasty, spicy curries. I particularly like hot chillies, so when you cook along with me, you might want to reduce the number of chillies! I can’t wait to cook for them. In the meantime, I’m very excited to share my Sri Lankan recipes with you
Hi, my name is Zeenat, I was born in Ghana, but have Nigerian heritage. My grandparents were traders that were moving back and forth selling clothes and rare foods like cashews, coffee and other delights from Nigeria to Ghana and back again.
I love cooking and have been cooking from a very young age. I was taught by my grandparents and my mother, I enjoy it, no matter how busy I am, I always make the time for home cooking. I have also had the opportunity to cook big feasts during Ramadan and Eid to feed families and particularly for people that are living destitute on the streets.
Nigerian and Ghanaian food is very similar, there are lots of similar dishes but they are cooked in different ways. For instance Nigerian fufu tends to be made with yam, whereas in Ghana it is usually made with plantain and cassava.
I’m looking forward to sharing some of my stories with you alongside as we cook up some delicious West African food in my class.
Hello, my name is Helen Goitom. I am from Eritrea. I was brought up in a city called Asmara – the capital city of Eritrea. My mother taught me to cook when I was 12 years old. I have 6 brothers and 2 sisters. My brothers never cooked, only me and my sisters. I have been in the UK for 1 year and 5 months. I got my refugee status last year, age 28.
In 2014 I was forced to join the army in Eritrea. Everyone in my country had to join. Only my father couldn’t join because he was ill. After 3 years of being in the army I wanted to leave the army because it was very dangerous and scary, I didn’t like it. Often there was not enough food and water for the soldiers, there was never any rest, every day working and no rest. My father was very sick so I asked to go visit him in hospital. They wouldn’t let me. I escaped to see my father. The authorities went to the hospital and put me in prison. I spent 6 months in prison. Then my aunt’s son paid someone to help me escape.
I went to Sudan, then Turkey, the Greece, then Italy, Belgium. In Belgium 12 of us snuck into the back of a lorry, the driver was asleep, he didn’t notice us. And the lorry got to the UK.
I am happy here in London. People help me. There are so many amazing services. When I’m ill I can get medicine. In Eritrea there was no medicine. There were no good schools. I feel very grateful to be here. My friends who I met in the lorry I am very good friends with still, they are like family to me.
My name is Awa. I’m from Gambia. My journey with food started with my mum who taught me everything she knows about food. It is a big tradition in my culture to follow our family legacy. We start cooking when we are very young. Our dishes are very flavourful and tasty, such as benachin (jollof rice) and chicken yassa (fried chicken with onions). We also have a lot of fish and seafood dishes. When I am cooking I feel very happy.
Since I got my refugee status in the UK I have found my love for food a great way to get me into work and connect with others.
My name is Ahmad and I’m from Lebanon. I was shot by two bullets while I was working as a paramedic for the Lebanese Red Cross 10 years ago, so now I’m in a wheelchair. My hobbies include wheelchair basketball, swimming and cooking. I gain so much pleasure from cooking, I love the smell of freshly prepared food – especially when it contains garlic and coriander! Since Lebanon is located in the heart of the Middle East by the Mediterranean sea, its food combines the tastes and traditions of several civilisations and Arab cuisines.
My name is Noor. I am from Lahore in Pakistan. I arrived to the UK in 2015 and I am still waiting for my asylum claim to be accepted. Lahore is famous for its food – everyone is obsessed with it. You will find food at any time of day or night. There are so many different dishes! I love cooking. My mum always cooked us many different dishes when I was growing up. She let me cook for the family at weekends and that is how I learned how to cook. Pakistani dishes are known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavours. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and black pepper are the most commonly used spices in the making of a wide variety of dishes.
My name is Lina from Syria, mother of three children, I came to the UK as a refugee in 2017 to escape the war in my country to protect my children and secure them a better future. From childhood I loved craftwork, I learned painting, sewing and knitting wool.
I learned the art of cooking from the age of fourteen. I was standing next to my grandmother and my mother and noticing how they cook, and then, as I helped my mother with the cooking, it became my favourite hobby. I spend endless hours cooking. I love it. I am obsessed with the smell of delicious food. If you know anything about Syrian food you know you are in for a treat.
Hello everyone! My name is Dan Hong Zheng. You can call me Denise if you like. l come from the South sea of China. My home town is very close to Taiwan. In my family, both my grandma and my father were great chefs. They taught me to cook when I was very young. I prefer seafood and all kinds of vegetables as my cooking ingredients of choice.
I submitted an asylum claim here in the UK in 2001, 19 years later I’m still waiting to get my refugee status. I am so happy that Migrateful has given me the chance to teach my traditional Chinese food.
Hello I’m Delores from Jamaica.
I love cooking delicious, nutritional food, using lots of garlic and spices. I was born into a family of chefs. As a young child growing up, I always helped my Grandmother with the cooking, preparing different dishes whilst my mother was out working as a chef. In 2001 I came to the UK on my own, then in 2005 they took away my immigration status and I was no longer allowed to work – 15 years ago and I’m still waiting!
Luckily I am a very positive person, I love singing and my belief in God has kept me strong all these years. I really do love to cook and entertain people. I feel very positive when I’m cooking. A dish that reminds me of home is rice and peas. In my country we didn’t cook rice in the week – only on Sunday. So rice, peas and chicken is like the Sunday roast equivalent in the UK. In the week we eat yam, green banana, cassava.
Hello everyone! My name is Razieh, and I am a chef from Iran.
My journey with food began when I was a child in my family kitchen with my mum. She was from the Turkish side of Iran, where women are famous for being excellent cooks and bakers. She taught me all her skills and I began to bake cakes for special events in my country when I was just 7.
I learnt to take great care and pride in my food; we particularly love using fresh fragrant herbs to perfumes in our dishes. Persian Food is very aromatic and evocative; saffron, rose water and fresh barberries are staples in our cuisine and we love to make our dishes look as beautiful as they taste. When we gathered together to eat there was always an element of friendly competition to see who had created the best garnish!
When I came to the UK, I stopped hosting big events as I lost my confidence and found the language barrier difficult. Working with Migrateful has meant that my confidence has returned and now I can’t wait to share with you all the knowledge of the traditional Persian kitchen that I have carried with me on my journey.
Hi, my name is Stella, I grew up in Nigeria and started cooking and growing food from a very young age. I LOVE food, I love the cooking, the sharing food with others and the way that it brings people together.
I didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, but worked from a young age in my mother’s street food restaurant making akara, a popular cake made from beans, plantain, and her own creation, another special snack called meat pie. Her food was very popular as it was so yummy! We had a small farm where we would grow our own aubergines, okra, mango, palm, beans, yam and other delicious vegetables, everything was organic and tasted so much better than the ingredients you get in the supermarkets over here.
When I grew up I met a man, we can say that he is a nasty man. He promised me opportunity, a future and said that he would take me to Europe. He did some horrible things to me, and took me to England, where I became stuck in a situation that I do not want to go into here. I experienced lots of racism and abuse and felt very scared, but I always had the voices of my mother and father with me, encouraging me and giving me belief of a better future.
After 3 and a half years a friend helped me to escape, I found support with the Helen Bamber Foundation and joined a choir, a photography group, a hiking club. They also introduced me to Migrateful to continue developing my main passion, cooking!
My aim in life is to be a chef, writing recipes and sharing my creations with the world. It makes me so happy for people to be eating my dishes. I would also love to have a garden or an allotment, or even a farm, to grow my own vegetables, to be able to make the best food, caring for the ingredients from seed to plate.
Hi everyone, my name is Zineb and I am from Morocco which is situated in North Africa. I inherited my great passion for cooking from my mother. I was always fascinated by her creativity. Moroccan food has consistently been ranked in the lead for being one of the best cuisines. In Morocco we have an abundance of spice, vegetables and fish that reflect on the huge repertoire of dishes we have, from couscous to tagines. It was alien for us to buy ready-made food; anything and everything was made at home. My mother pickled her own olives and it was such fun as we would all help out. She made her own bread and biscuits and dishes were all made according to the seasons.
For me, cooking is therapy, a form of art and love! I always enjoyed mealtime as it was filled with many debates, discussions and laughter around a colourful table. This sadly is starting to disappear but I try hard to maintain it within my own family (if I manage to get them to put their phones down 🙈😂)
Bristol chefs
Hi I am Tilly from the South of Sri Lanka. I arrived in the UK on my own in my teens and I didn’t know how to cook. I was starving many days as I didn’t know how to cook and I missed my mother’s food. One time she rang me and asked me what I was eating in England so I told her I was very hungry and not eating properly. So my mother said “take the phone to the kitchen and follow my cooking instructions”. That’s how I learnt to cook – over the phone! I miss mainly three things about my mother country; my family, the food and the weather. Sri Lanken food is delicious and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to teach others how to cook it!
Hi my name is Atiqa and I come from Pakistan. Cooking is a really important part of my life. When I cook it connects me to my mum and my country, Pakistan. For some reason, I got disconnected from my family and whenever I cook I feel like my mother is there. I learnt to cook when I came to the UK but anything I make is inspired by my countries flavours! Abbottabbad is my city in the north of Pakistan. It’s a big city with lots of tourists, bordering Afghanistan. My food and the way I dress shares many features with Afghan culture.
My name is Mansura. I am from Northern Ghana, from a town called Salaga. It’s an inland town. It’s the capital of East Gonja district. It was the biggest slave market in West Africa. I came to the UK in April 2015. I have one child, a son called Ibrahim. He’s 5 years old and he is at school here in Bristol. I learned cooking in a polygamous family, cooking for a lot of people. When I was a child I learned by watching and I helped by bringing water, washing the food, chopping onions and so on. In our country men are in control, women don’t have much of a voice. Here a woman can do anything – be a mechanic or a doctor or engineer. I love to cook and I love teaching, – I play Twi and Hausa music during my classes! I am confident because I am teaching what I know. I really enjoy it and I really appreciate the Migrateful project. They have made me aware of other culture’s cuisines.
Hello! I am Atem, I am from Crossriver, a state in Nigeria. I learned how to cook from my mum because my dad usually placed emphasis on the girl child in the family knowing how to cook. My favourite spices are chili and seasoning cubes. I never really liked cooking that much until I found out a little secret: food is the spice of life. A mixture of varieties, blends, textures, tastes of seasonings and flavours to give you a pleasant dish. I love traveling, learning something new, and I see it as an opportunity to try lots of new meals and flavours from new places.
My name is Shiddiqur Rahaman and I’m from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Our main food is fish curry and rice, but we also love a lot of different dishes like vegetables, meat and chicken. On usual days, we cook at least three or four items for our lunch and dinner. I came to this country about 13 years ago. I didn’t like the curry here because it’s different from our traditional way of cooking it. So, I started to learn making it from my mum over the phone. Everyone in my family loves my mum’s cooking. It didn’t take long for me to replicate the way she does it because I used to help her in the kitchen at home, so I had some idea about our recipes. I started cooking more and more and my love for cooking grew. It became my passion. I’m very excited to introduce everyone to our traditional recipes.
Hello, my name is Obah. I am from Somalia but was born and grew up in Kuwait. I never cooked when I was young, as my mum never had time to teach us. I learnt to cook when I got married to my husband 23 years ago, starting with Kabes (Somalian chapatti). It didn’t turn out perfect the first time, but I was determined to do it again and from there I just learnt through practicing. I really enjoy learning about new food from different cultures, and mixing them together!
Hello, I am Negla from Sudan. My grandmother taught me to cook (my mother died when I was 15 years old) when I got married age 19 – she explained to me it’s very important to be able to cook for your husband. But even then I didn’t take much interest in cooking because my auntie and sisters always did the cooking at home. Then 10 years ago my family and I were forced to leave Sudan because of the war and we arrived to the UK as refugees. We didn’t have my sisters around anymore so I had to start cooking for my family. It was the first time I had properly cooked for my husband. I have 3 daughters and one son. They liked my cooking a lot. I started to to try lots of different dishes and then I realised I was an amazing cook.
My name is Kule, and I am from the central part of Sri Lanka.
I moved to the UK in 2003. Most of the time I was relying on take-away and supermarket ready made food, and I was always craving for the flavors that I had in my childhood, especially my mother’s cooking. 10 years later, I was desperate to have these flavors back and called my mum to share her recipes. My mum taught me her secret chicken curry recipe. It was delicious, as good as my mum’s cooking. Ever since, I have tried different recipes and started loving cooking! It became my stress buster.
I was cooking for my friends’ parties, they always loved it. Therefore, I started cooking in bulk for big gatherings. Besides that, I also enjoyed volunteering cooking for different charities around Bristol.
My hobbies are cooking, and (newly found) walking in nature, – my favourite place is RSPB Nash Wetland in Newport. I also love to connect with new people, learning about different cultures and traditions.
Migrateful shaped me to become not just an intuitive cook, but now also an organized chef. During the classes, I love connecting with everyone, to learn from different cultures, languages and traditions.
Now I love cooking more than eating! I enjoy every moment and receive feedback on my recipes.
I am Sultana. I like cooking because when I was a child I saw all my family enjoy cooking together. I had a big family so there was more reason to cook a lot; all my sisters, my aunts and my grandmother would sit and help each other cooking. I had a nice time speaking and hearing many stories. Making food and trying new recipes is a great way to spend time with the family, forget our jobs and hard times and keep the family warm.
Kent chefs
Hello! I am Amanee from Morocco. I am passionate about cooking and it has always been my dream to be a chef. I love sharing the wonderful flavours of Morocco with people new to them. We have so many delicious dishes. I am the oldest child in my family and I learnt to cook by helping my mother in the kitchen. She taught me how to make things from scratch – to make many types of bread for example. My mother always used fresh ingredients that she bought from the market each day. We lived near the sea and so cooked with a lot of fresh fish. I like our traditional food very much and the traditional methods. I love the sound of the pestle grinding spices in the mortar. We cook using our eyes and our hands, judging ingredients and quantities from experience and taste.
Every Moroccan house has mint tea ready for their guests. I look forward to sharing mint tea with you.
Hola! My name is Rosa and I am from Venezuela. I was born in the Capital, Caracas. I have so many memories of my beloved city: a concrete jungle with bright blue skies, fluffy clouds and the Avila mountain always green and majestic, making it the perfect postcard!.
At a very young age, my mom introduced me to the joy of gastronomy. As a single mom, I think that was the way she found to bond. We would dine out every Sunday, after she finished work, choosing from our favourite restaurants. Venezuelan gastronomy is very rich and diverse because it has a strong influence of Spain, Italy and Portugal.
I came to the UK at the end of 2018. I have always been a foodie but because I was not allowed to work I had to find a way to cultivate this passion at a lower cost. I started picking up Food Bank parcels and volunteering at the local food club and I discovered that using humble ingredients did not stop me from making delicious and nutritious recipes.
So come and join one of my classes, we will have lots of fun together and you will discover some traditional dishes from Venezuela.
Hello everyone, my name is Heba and I am from Syria. The meaning of my name is gift from God. I have been living in the UK since 2018 and I live with my family in Folkestone where I am very happy, and hope that my happiness will be permanent. In Syria I was a nurse working in a hospital for 3 years helping surgeons, and I am also a hairdresser! We left Syria because of the war and after we lost everything, my father, memories and our home we fled into the unknown and lived in Lebanon…six years of hell that I will never forget.
Since living in the UK I have been working in a Spanish restaurant as a chef’s assistant. I like Spanish food, but not as much as the Syrian food that we are going to cook this evening. I am excited to be able to share my recipes with you because I don’t cook as much as I’d like to, but when I do, no one can resist my food! I put all my feelings of love and joy into my food. And also happiness and some sadness and pain… sad things have an artistic peculiarity. Only those who have lived it can feel it. When I cook, I feel like I find myself and I dream of being a famous chef when everyone wants to taste my food. My only wish is to live in peace with my family.
Brighton chefs
Hi, I’m Leo from Russia. When I was a child, my mother and sister did all the cooking for our family and it wasn’t until I left home when I was 19 that I had to learn how to cook for myself. I already enjoyed eating food from different parts of the world and I wanted to be able to cook it for myself. I became an experimenter in the kitchen. As well as cooking, I paint and take photographs. I love art and I think cooking is a type of art – it’s really creative. Art takes its inspiration from life and so does cooking. It makes me happy to cook for other people and to give them pleasure through my food. I always ask friends to rate my food on a scale of 1-10 to get their feedback! I am very happy to be able to share some Russian “10” dishes with you in my classes.
Hello. My name is Manal and I am from Syria. I have been living in the UK since 2014 along with my husband and two children. My love of cooking started at a young age when, like many Arabic girls, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping my mother to prepare family meals. I went on to study cooking at college and spent a couple of years teaching cookery classes for 14-17 year olds at a school in Syria.
Since arriving in the UK, I have channelled my energy into completing English language and book-keeping courses, the Migrateful chef’s training programme and I am about to start studying photography at university. I have also produced my own Syrian cookery book to raise funds for refugees and recently I have been asked to cater for some private events which is very exciting and something I would like to do more of. My aim is to build a successful career for myself which combines my passions for cooking and photography.
I can’t wait to teach you my favourite traditional Syrian recipes and to share stories about Syrian culture as we cook and enjoy a meal together.
MEET THE MIGRATEFUL CHEFS TEACHING ONLINE CLASSES
I am Amani, an Arab from Aleppo, Syria. I live with my mother and my younger sisters. I left Syria in 2013 when I lost my father and brother in the war and we fled to Lebanon and stayed there for six years, which were hard and difficult years. I worked there more than one job and studied, and then we applied to travel to the United Kingdom and it was approved after many years of waiting.
When I came to the UK, I started to learn the English language. I started out like a butterfly- I was locked up and then saw freedom. Then I got a job with Kent Refugees Action Network and I used to help them with cooking sometimes. One day I cooked with my mother and some students for about 60 people, and this was my first step in my dream of being a great chef.
I love writing and I would like to publish a special book in my name and tell about what I have suffered from the war. I love cooking because I see cooking is the path to kindness and love, for food is a language that no one can hear except generous people. My teacher proposed this institution to teach cooking and I agreed to join. I am happy and grateful for my joining Migrateful because I can now see my dream clearly with them.
I am Kashi, from Tanzania East Africa. I love to cook and learn new recipes from all over the world. I learn to cook from very young age as is our traditional and most of the kitchen works done by girls and women in the household. I came to England 12 years ago, food was different from my country so my passion of cooking getting even bigger, I love to cook my swahili cuisines with the twist to make healthy food as I believe food is medicine. I love to use fresh ingredient and spices in my food and do everything from the scratch.
My name is Priscille and I’m from Cameroon. I grew up within a very modest family but I had a happy childhood. Our house was always full of joy, laughter, good conversation and squeals of delight. Cameroon has a reputation for being a very sociable country, so it’s very common to see neighbours and relatives sharing a meal on a regular basis. I developed an understanding of the importance of creating bonds and happiness through good food from a young age. My mum was my teacher. I began with little tasks such as peeling vegetables, onions and garlic. As time went by, I was introduced to more elaborate meals. When I was 11, I cooked my first full meal of a traditional okra soup with prawns and foufou, a party was thrown on my behalf where people from neighbouring households came with nuts, fruits and vegetables as gifts to celebrate the accomplishment of me becoming a reliable chef in their eyes. Sadly, I had to leave that behind and come to Uk.
When I arrived, things weren’t as straightforward as I had imagined. I found it extremely challenging to integrate and interact with people. I was suffering from post traumatic stress and the language barrier didn’t make it any easier. I decided to join some organisations who could help me to work through my challenges. Once being among them, I began to apply the lessons I learnt back into my everyday life. I started cooking for people regularly. When I was offered the opportunity to join Migrateful, I was thrilled. I’m very happy to be able to share some of my cooking knowledge but more importantly, to be surrounded by the joy, laughter and conversations that surround a good meal…
Hi I’m Edite from Angola, a country located in the South-West of Africa. I grew up in a very beautiful city called “Malanje”. There are beautiful waterfalls there. People love socialising in Angola – we love to meet up and eat, drink and dance. Cemba and Kizomba are our traditional dances which you dance as a couple. It’s a very elegant and friendly dance. In Angola the national language is still Portuguese so our culture has been influenced a lot by them, especially our food. Our food is very rich, colourful and diverse. We have so many different types of fruit and vegetables in Angola.
My grandmother taught me to cook when I was very young. She passed away when I was 12 but I always remember the dishes she taught me. I was feeling very isolated living in the UK, even though I arrived here 18 years ago. When I heard about Migrateful I knew this would be a great way to get out of the house, meet people, share my skills and also learn from others. I am very grateful to Migrateful because this opportunity is helping me to reconnect to my roots and keep the knowledge of my traditions alive. I feel very proud to share with London my Angolan culture. It’s helping me to remember who I am and where I’ve come from.
Hello, I’m Sereh from Gambia. I was brought up in a town called Boo Noknok manok. My mother wasn’t around when I was growing up so my great grandmother taught me to cook when I was very young. In Gambia all young girls learn how to sweep, boil the rice, wash your cloths and look after yourself from a very young age. My mother tongue is Mandinka. I arrived 11 years ago to Bristol. I have a strong community here. I’m still waiting to get my status from the Home Office so I can start working. I really love cooking. I would like to be a professional chef one day. I love dancing and learning new things. I wanted to join Migrateful because I love cooking so much and I’m excited to teach others about my food
My name is Deshira, and I come from Albania which is located in the South-East of Europe. Albanian cuisine is representative of the Mediterranean diet, based on the importance of olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish. I started cooking when I was nine years old because my mother got sick and spent three months in hospital. So, I was “on duty” taking care of my little brother and dad. I remember the first dish I made was my favourite Albanian dish called “byrek,” made with lots of pastry filled with mince, cheese, or spinach. I was brought up in a culture where sharing a meal is a very important way of connecting with others and integrating in the society. With all the problems I’m experiencing with the Home Office my passion for cooking is an amazing way to stay positive through it all.
I grew up in the capital of Ghana called Accra with my Auntie who taught me how to cook. Life was difficult, but the cooking and food has always been important to me. In Ghanian food we always cook with pepper, onions, garlic, stock and lots of love. And this food reminds me of the people of Ghana who I miss dearly. I moved to the UK when I was 28, and now I am studying online at Bedford College ‘dignity and safeguard in adult social care’ and living with my little girl, Nana who loves to eat my food. I can’t wait to share it with all of you!
Get notified when new classes drop!
We send an email newsletter twice a month, which is the best way to stay up-to-date with our classes, and ways to support us. Sign up to be the first to know when new classes drop!