My Culture, My Cookbook

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund we have partnered with our friends Afrocats to deliver an exiting new project - My Culture, My Cookbook.

The project aims to build stronger relationships across communities and to tackle the food poverty experienced by those who seek asylum in the UK. In particular, to support asylum seekers who are housed in hostels or hotels, across Greater Manchester, who face considerable barriers to accessing culturally appropriate food.

Due to Home Office regulations under Section 4, people who are housed in accommodation such as hotels receive just £8.24 per week, along with basic food and toiletries. Food is reported to be largely processed, unhealthy, and lacking in variety, made worse by the availability of cultural food during a cost of living crisis. Women told us they want the choice to touch and eat food they wish to eat.

We developed the project to help alleviate the pressures the women experience associated with initial immigration processes, reducing social isolation and re-humanising culinary experiences.

As part of a consultation process the women on the project shared recipes that reflect their culinary experiences and backgrounds. Each week we join together to cook the recipes for one another. The project will culminate with the launch of our community cookbook which will be available to buy from WAST in the coming months.