Community Project: Sanctuary in The Kitchen
Sanctuary in the Kitchen: More Than Just Food
“For me cooking is a way to share my culture. I have felt very isolated in the UK and remember times when back home I would cook with my family in Afghanistan. I want to share something positive about Afghanistan. And to learn from others. For me, cooking and sharing food would be a powerful way to do this.” Sanctuary in The Kitchen participant
Sanctuary in the Kitchen is a powerful community-led cooking and cultural exchange project. It is created by and for members of the sanctuary community. This initiative goes far beyond sharing meals; it creates a safe and warm space where refugee and asylum-seeking individuals and families can reconnect with the heart of what they have had to leave behind: culture, memory and belonging.
In this kitchen, people from across the world come together not only to cook but to share music, art, craft and the rich stories that make them who they are. It’s a space of healing and joy, where laughter and the smells of home fill the air and where conversations flow in many languages. It's a reminder that identity is not lost; it lives on in shared traditions and the comfort of being understood. In fact, for many, this kitchen becomes the first place in the UK where they feel at home again.
In 2025 alone, Sanctuary in the Kitchen welcomed 28 participants from 10 countries (Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea-Conakry, Palestine, Rwanda, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Yemen). Together, they prepared over 20 traditional dishes, including recipes passed down by children, each one carrying a story of resilience, love and culture, which makes inter-generational recipes.
A cookbook celebrating Sanctuary in the Kitchen will launch in October 2025. Further details will be shared shortly.
Fariha Maleki, Sanctuary in the Kitchen cookbook Project Lead, describes the project as 'a shining example of the power of community, creativity and culture in supporting those who seek sanctuary. It offers dignity, purpose and deep connection at a time when many feel isolated and invisible'.
For further information on the project, please email: university.of.sanctuary@uea.ac.uk.