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
This month’s edition builds on a strong March, highlighting increased catering demand, community engagement, and key partnerships, including events with The London Unit and the conclusion of the Migration on Film series with Goldsmiths. It celebrates continued outreach through local stalls and storytelling from Plateful’s chefs, showcasing the cultural depth behind their food. A major milestone is the appointment of
This month’s newsletter reflects on a busy February of successful events, including a sold-out Sudanese Valentine’s dinner and continued catering at Goldsmiths’ Migration on Film series, alongside the ongoing Warm Space initiative at Blackfriars Settlement. Looking ahead, March brings culturally rich events such as a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Lewisham Irish Centre and Plateful’s first Eid community dinner.
This month’s edition marks a major milestone as Plateful Café secures its first operational base at Blackfriars Settlement, enabling the launch of its Warm Space soup initiative and laying the groundwork for expanded training, catering, and café services from April. The newsletter highlights a growing events programme, including Migration on Film nights at Goldsmiths and a Valentine’s dinner at Hilly
