Refugee Action - The Making of the Big Night In Box

DAY 2 - Sharon's Jamaican Pot Roast Beef and Chicken Curry

Sharon carves up the finished Jamaican Pot Roast Beef Day 2 in the kitchen with our guest refugee chefs to create a very special spice box for the Refugee Action Big Night In on the 2nd May! Today we welcomed Sharon into Spicery kitchen who doubled her chances of spice box stardom by cooking 2 amazing dishes from her homeland Jamaica - join us for the voting next Thursday 26th Feb to help pick the dish you'd like to see in the final menu! We're supporting Refugee Action as we've always been aware how much we've benefitted as a business and as a country from the contribution refugees have made - find out more about our charity partnership HERE.

Sharon's Story: Sharon grew up with her sister, parents and grandmother in Jamaica. As a child she helped to harvest the coffee, cocoa beans, pimentos and bananas they grew to sell. Her family were self-sufficient, also growing vegetables and maize. “They used to call our place the Big Yard because everybody was welcome to eat,” says Sharon. “We’d cook so that if someone stops by you always have something to offer.” Sharon’s mum taught her to cook when she was nine, and she now volunteers to cook for up to fifty refugee women each week in the UK. At first she was worried about cooking at the Spicery. “I didn’t sleep well the night before. I kept thinking “am I going to burn the dishes?” she recalls. But once in the kitchen, she loved every minute. “Oh my gosh, what a workplace! I couldn’t believe the atmosphere” says Sharon “James is a fantastic person and he smiles from his eyes.” To those buying the Refugee Action Big Night In box, Sharon says, “These spices were made with love, care, and with thought. They will enjoy the meal because it was put together with heart.” - Sharon

DAY 3 - Sitana and Amal's Gima

Thursday's guest refugee chef was Sitana joined by her assistant chef and close friend Amal. Her recipe – for the Sudanese dish gima – includes lots of familiar ingredients like carrots and minced lamb - but you’ll be surprised how the final dish comes together!

Sitana's Story: Sitana grew up with four sisters, five brothers and her parents in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum. She learned to cook by copying her mum. Soon her family were saying she was just as good. Sitana recalls, “It made me proud because my mum, she’s a good cook!” Sitana studied statistics and population studies at university. But as a student, she got caught up in political controversy. She fled to Egypt with her brother. Life as a refugee in Egypt wasn’t safe for Sitana. Eventually the UN resettled her to the UK, through a scheme that helps a small number of refugees make a new start in a safe country each year. “I noted when I came here, everyone is equal,” she says. "I can express my opinion. It makes me feel happy and comfortable.” Happy to find Sudanese food ingredients easily in the UK, Sitana regularly cooks for her brother and friends. Her recipe – for the Sudanese dish gima – includes lots of British ingredients, but you’ll be surprised how differently they taste! Sitana enjoyed cooking at The Spicery. “James, he’s very kind and also the staff with him. They are respectful... welcoming us,” she says To those buying the Refugee Action Big Night In pack, Sitana says, “Enjoy the meal and that it helps refugees.”

DAY 4 - Rohi's Lamb and Flageolet Bean Stew and Chicken Bennachin

Today concluded a really interesting week of cooking in the Spicery kitchen with our guest refugee chefs Mahin (Iran), Sharon (Jamaica), Sitana & Amal (Sudan) and today, Rohi from The Gambia all sharing favourite dishes from their respective homelands. For her moment in the spotlight Rohi chose to take on two dishes - a rich, satisfying Lamb and Flageolet Bean Stew spied with green cardamon and ginger as well as a hearty chicken and rice dish called Bennachin flavoured with lots of oregano and black pepper.

Rohi's Story: Rohi grew up with thirteen family members – grandmother, uncles, aunties, cousins– in Gambia’s capital, Banju. Her mum and three aunties shared the cooking, and “by eleven years, I could cook very well,” she says. “When it was time for lunch, they would dish up three big bowls. The younger ones would eat with the grandmother so she could discipline them; the girls with their mums, the dads with their boys. There was always a bowl for strangers, neighbours, anyone who comes seeking food.” Benachin is the traditional dish of Rohi’s tribe, the Wolof. “We cook benachin for all the feasts and special occasions,” she explains. Rohi has missed the closeness of her family and neighbours since she came to the UK, but continues to cook Gambian food for her four children. She enjoyed cooking at the Spicery. “It was amazing to see lots of spices and recipes from around the world. James and his staff were very nice and hospitable,” she says. To those buying a Refugee Action Big Night In pack, Rohi says, “Refugee Action Big Night In is going to be a great help to both Refuge Action and you. Whatever good you do, it comes back to you.”

DAY 5 - Judith's Ndole!

Guest chef No.5 in the Spicery kitchen was Judith from Cameroon who shared her recipe for Ndole Day 5 saw a most unusual dish coming from our Cameroonian kitchen contestant for the upcoming Refugee Action Big Night In on the 2nd May! Join us for the voting this Thursday 26th Feb to help pick the recipe you'd like to see in the final menu! We're supporting Refugee Action as we've always been aware how much we've benefited as a business and as a country from the contribution refugees have made - find out more about our charity partnership HERE. DAY 5 - Judith's Ndole This dish is certainly the most unusual so far with the combination of chicken, prawns, spinach and peanuts making for a most interesting menu! Despite the unfamiliarity of the ingredients list the Spicery team were more than pleasantly surprised with Judith's rich and savoury dish from her native Cameroon with it's almost creamy texture, nutty flavour and mild spicing with ginger and pepper.

Judith grew up in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé. Her parents died when she was just 10 years old. Judith and her four brothers went to live with another family. She remembers,“The favourite food my family used to like was ndolé, that's why I know how to make it properly. When it’s Christmas, we would make ndolé for everybody. Christmas was good because we’d invite so many people in the house and we’d eat, drink and dance!” Judith got married when she was 23 and had two boys. She ran a shop which sold clothes, food and other goods. Last year, Judith had to leave her friends and family and seek safety in the UK. She struggles to find her favourite foods from back home in the UK. Often the ingredients she needs are too expensive for her to buy. She was excited to see all the spices available when she cooked ndolé at the Spicery. “It was amazing. I really, really enjoyed it!” To people buying the Refugee Action Big Night In pack, Judith says, “You’ll see how the spices taste and will really enjoy it. Ndolé is the national dish in Cameroon and everybody’s favourite – you have to try it!” 

DAY 6 - Esam's Dolma and stuffed vegetables

Esam's Dolma (stuffed vine leaves) and rice stuffed veg from his native Kurdistan was a fascinating meal full of Middle Eastern flavours such as cumin, cinnamon, green cardamon and aleppo pepper. Watching this being made was a real treat with some unusual techniques on display such as the skillful stuffing of the leaves as well as the frying of the salt and spices in oil until almost blackened: “My dish will make you healthy,” he says, “but adding spices makes it delicious.”

Esam, Northern Iraq (Kurdistan), (Dolma and stuffed vegetables) Esam grew up with his sisters and parents in Kirkuk, one of North Iraq’s biggest cities. Kurdish food was a big part of his childhood, and his mum taught him basic cooking skills. But after political unrest, Esam had to leave. “It was the first time I left my family. It was a really difficult decision, but I had no choice. My life was at risk.” Cooking has been a source of comfort to Esam since he fled to the UK. He volunteers as a chef at local refugee drop-in centres, cooking delicious food for hundreds of people in need. At The Spicery, he cooked dolma and stuffed vegetables: “My dish will make you healthy,” he says, “but adding spices makes it delicious.” Esam enjoyed cooking at The Spicery. “James and the staff were nice people. I think I spent one of my nicest times there.” To people buying the Refugee Action Big Night In pack, he says, “If they spend a little money on getting this useful pack from the Spicery, I’m sure they’re going to make themselves happy, and make us safer and happier too.” 

DAY 7 - Zainabu's Ugandan Lamb Pilau

That's it! Our final guest chef, Zainabu from Uganda concluded our enlightening and delicious couple of weeks with our guest refugee chefs for the upcoming Refugee Action Big Night In on the 2nd May.

Another exciting day's cooking with our final guest refugee chef! Zainabu rounded up the recipe submissions with something usually reserved for celebratory occasions in Uganda, a Lamb Pilau served with salad and ripe bananas. The main dish was dark and rich, flavoured with freshly ground green cardamon seeds, ginger, garlic, tea bags and blackened onions! Once again this was an example of the fantastic diversity that can be produced with some unfamiliar techniques being applied to simple ingredients.

Zainabu grew up with her extended family in a village in Uganda. Her two passions were dancing and cooking, which she learned from her grandmother. At eight years old, she cooked and sold homemade chapatti and rolex (filled chapatti) to help support her family. She went on to study catering and worked as a chef in a hotel. At The Spicery, Zainabu cooked her favourite meal, Pilau rice. It’s a dish with special significance in Uganda. “The main food for celebrations was pilau rice. That food is very occasional though – you can’t afford to get it every day. When my grandfather was alive, he could afford to have pilau rice and I helped my grandmother to make it.” Zainabu loved coming to the Spicery. “That kitchen, it’s a celebrity kitchen – I felt like a celebrity!” she says. “James is very, very nice. If you’re working for somebody and they care about the way you eat lunch, that’s a different person. I wish he could be my manager!” Zainabu’s message to people buying a Refugee Action Big Night In pack is “Go for it! Because this is real, healthy food, and the taste will never leave your mind!”