Southeast London’s favourite community café has had to leave its home in the Parkside Community Centre on Lewisham Road. Luckily though, our tireless volunteers have been able to team up with The Star of Greenwich, a community-owned pub with stacks of character and an international reputation. The Star was recently featured in an LA Times article about the survival of British pubs in a post-pandemic economy, so many of us are optimistic that the forced change of location could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Our mission continues to be about helping refugees get on their feet. By hiring chefs from all over the world the café provides a safe and welcoming space where migrants can develop skills that will help them find employment. More than that though, the Plateful will continue to give chefs the chance to celebrate and share the dishes that are important to them. For customers, this also means you will be exposed to a wider range of culinary delights than ever before. Nahed, a chef from Syria who has worked with Plateful for several years, spoke about how she feels about the move. Rather than being worried, Nahed expressed optimism about the possibilities that changing location might bring. “I’m not worried, I think maybe it’s a blessing actually. It can be very quiet here and not many people walk past. So, there’s a good chance there will be more business when we move which might mean there is more work for me too! At the moment I only work here one day every fortnight so I’m hoping that I might be able to get more hours in Greenwich.” The Star of Greenwich is located just off Trafalgar Road in East Greenwich, so it is hoped that a busier setting will encourage more people to try our fantastic food. Nahed went on to explain how Plateful had helped her personally and expressed hope that the change of location would allow others to benefit from a similar experience. “Working this job has helped me in many ways. My English is fine now but a few years ago, frankly, I didn’t know how to say my own name. I’ve also met so many new people and learnt how to use new equipment in the kitchen like the coffee machine. Now I have a good CV and a food hygiene certificate which meant I could get a job working at a nursery too.” For the newer refugee chefs who are still developing their English and getting qualified, there is certainly hope that moving to The Star of Greenwich will provide opportunities for others to follow in Nahed’s footsteps. Unfortunately, there are still a couple of obstacles to overcome before we can establish ourselves as a permanent fixture at the Star. While regular events are planned for the rest of the year, we are waiting on funding which would allow The Star to install a new Kitchen on the 1st floor of the pub. This would mean Plateful’s talented chefs would be able to cook on-site rather than bringing in our food from outside. To help make this dream come true we encourage you to come down to the three-course Peruvian dinner which will take place at the Star of Greenwich on the 14th of June.
Recently we had a piece about about the great work we’re doing at Plateful Cafe on South London News – South London Press & Mercury. Read a summary below or full article here. Plateful Café, located in Lewisham, celebrates its one-year anniversary with pride. Founded by Iolanda Chirico, the café serves as a platform for refugees to display their culinary skills and offers a variety of cuisines to the local community for the sole aim of helping refugees. Operating three days a week, it provides meals, catering services, and sells artisan products. The café pays its cooks the London Living wage and relies on grants, donations, and trading income for sustainability. Ms. Chirico, along with a team of paid cooks and volunteers, has witnessed significant positive impacts on the refugees’ lives, including improved health, language skills, and confidence. Plateful Café recently hosted a Persian festival, showcasing the talents of chefs like Hadis a refugee, who left Iran and found a new life in the UK. The café’s bistro nights highlight different cultures through food, music, and staff contributions. These events offer the community a chance to enjoy diverse cuisines and reinforce the café’s commitment to helping refugees integrate and thrive.
By Sam. Very few festivals can say they have a history which stretches back over three millennia, but Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is one of them. The celebration happens every year on the spring equinox and symbolises the emergence of new life and the triumph of light over darkness. Hadis, one of the many talented Chefs who cook at Plateful Café, explained how the charity was helping her preserve this ancient tradition with her family despite leaving Iran two years ago. “Plateful has allowed me to make a better lifestyle for myself in the UK and it’s been great to show off my culture and my style of cooking to customers.” Located on Lewisham Road, Plateful Café is open to everyone in Southeast London looking to experience unique cultural traditions. Their mission is to empower refugees like Hadis by providing job opportunities and by highlighting their talents and value within the local community. For Hadis, who had worked as a Physiotherapist in Iran, Plateful also allowed her to acquire new skills and gain professional experience working in hospitality. “It’s been great because I’ve been able to get experience working in a professional kitchen and serving customers, and I’ve also learnt how to make coffee like a Barista.” The café’s new bistro nights showcase the food, culture and music of members of staff like Hadis. But more than that, they are an opportunity for you to come and support one of London’s new community spaces while listening to live music and eating great food. At last week’s Nowruz event diners could gather around a traditional Haft-Sin table and try traditional dishes like Sabzi Polo Ba Mahi – a herby rice dish served with fried fish. Traditional Iranian music played on the Tar, a long-necked lute, greeted people as they walked in, and the seven symbols of Nowruz were laid out on each table. These symbols all begin with the letter S in Farsi and represent various virtues. For instance, Sabzeh (wheatgrass or lentil sprouts grown in a dish) represents rebirth, Seer (Garlic) represents health, and Serkeh (Vinegar) represents patience. The night ended with smooth Jazz and a Persian Love cake, which is a fragrant dessert drenched in a sweet citrus glaze. Hadis was kind enough to share the recipe for her Sabzi Polo so you can try and make it at home. But if you want to try the real thing then head down to Plateful café for lunch on Thursdays (9:30 am-3 pm), Fridays (9:30 am -3 pm), and Saturdays (12 pm-5 pm). Or for a full evening of culture head along to the next Plateful Lates bistro night which will be held on the evening of the 18th of April. Alternatively, follow Plateful on Instagram @platefulcafe, on Facebook, or find out more about how to volunteer on their website platefulcafe.co.uk. Plateful’s Sabzi polo Ba Mahi recipe: For the rice: 400 grams basmati rice 80 grams of chopped parsley 80 grams of chopped coriander 80 grams of chopped dill Minced Garlic (four cloves) ¼ cup of brewed Saffron Sunflower oil Butter For the fish: White fish fillets (traditionally Caspian Kutum) Lemon juice Method: First, we soak the rice for one to two hours with a little salt. Next strain out the water the rice has soaked in before cooking the rice in boiling water until it becomes slightly soft (al dente). Depending on your rice this takes between three and eight minutes. Drain any remaining water and let the rice stand for at least two minutes. We then pour rice along with the chopped herbs and a little oil into a new pot. Add a little oil and butter before closing the lid and leaving to simmer on low heat for five minutes. We now set a little of this rice aside for the garnish. Dribble the brewed saffron over the rice that is being used for garnish. Leave the remaining rice to steam in the pot with no heat under it for half an hour or until fragrant. The fish is simply fried in a pan for two to three minutes on each side depending on the size of the fillet. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
