On Saturday 8th of August, we had the pleasure of providing catering for the Day into Night festival at the Fox and Firkin in Lewisham. It was a sunny Saturday but thankfully not too hot, and getting there in the early afternoon meant that we got to watch the event grow and bubble up as the heat of the day
Plateful Cafe was recently featured in UnFeatured Anthony Bourdain once declared the dinner table The Great Equalizer: a space where division melts into unity over aromas and flavours that speak to us in a tongue that the mind doesn’t need to understand. Iolanda echoed him. “When you sit down and eat together, you forget where you’re coming from and just
On the 2nd of August, Plateful Café headed to SET Social in Peckham. Though the event was funded by Southwark Council, the day was truly made through the collaborative effort of Raze Collective, TRIBE and Sounds Between. Between these three organisations, they fostered an atmosphere of inclusivity and, central to Plateful’s mission, a strong sense of community. The stalls were
Plateful Cafe was recently featured in a story form The New Arab. Keeping hold of tradition For migrants and refugees, food plays a huge role in helping them connect with communities and fostering a sense of belonging and creativity. Plateful Cafe is a refugee-led charity which helps refugees build the skills needed to enter the UK workforce. Maysoon Mohamed, from
Building Skills, Confidence and Community Through Food Securing a commercial kitchen at Blackfriars Settlement has enabled Plateful Café to relaunch its hospitality training programme and continue supporting refugees and people seeking asylum on their journey towards employment, enterprise and social inclusion. Our Introduction to Working in Hospitality programme ran from 13 April to 30 June 2026, with five participants from
A Taste of Home: Maysoon’s Journey from Sudan to Building Nubian Delights in London When Maysoon Mohammed talks about food, she isn’t simply talking about recipes. She’s talking about family. She’s talking about culture. She’s talking about belonging. And through every cake, biscuit, and traditional Sudanese dessert she creates, she’s sharing a piece of her story. Growing Up Between Cultures
April Moments That Mattered As our previous edition noted, we proudly welcomed a new Operations Manager and Trainer! It has been just over a month since we welcomed Ismail Almatheab into this role, and we would like to report that he is getting well into the swing of things. April saw him begin to lead the Introduction to Hospitality course,
For founder Iolanda Chirico, food has always been about more than what is on the plate. Food creates community. Food represents support, family, and security. It is this belief that inspired Iolanda to launch Plateful Café, a charity that gives refugees the opportunity to build their lives through food. By providing training, employment opportunities and a welcoming community, Plateful Cafe helps
For Refugee Week 2026, we are celebrating the theme of Courage by sharing the story of our new Chef Trainer, Ismail Almatheab. Today, Ismail leads hospitality training at Plateful Café, helping refugees and other learners build skills, confidence and pathways into employment. But the journey that brought him here is one of extraordinary resilience, determination and courage. Growing up in
