And end of year note from Iolanda Thank you for your support in what has been quite the rollercoaster year for Plateful Café. The biggest challenge ever remains the lack of a permanent venue. Despite an ever-increasing demand for our catering services,
https://mailchi.mp/
This New Year edition reflects on a demanding but impactful 2025, featuring a candid end-of-year note from founder Iolanda Chirico on the ongoing challenge of operating without a permanent kitchen despite catering 50+ events across London. It celebrates the dedication of 48 volunteers across eight teams, shares strong customer testimonials, and looks ahead to January and February 2026 events including the Warm Space soup project at Blackfriars Settlement and a Sudanese Valentine’s dinner at Hilly Fields Café.
February 2026 – Plateful Café Finds a Home
https://mailchi.mp/
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 Fields Café, alongside the introduction of a new Syrian menu for 2026. It also reflects continued community impact, with new refugee volunteers joining from Mauritius and Ethiopia and an expanding volunteer network supporting the organisation’s next phase of growth.
March 2026 – Growth and Celebrations at Plateful Café
https://mailchi.mp/
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. The edition also marks significant organisational progress, with the recruitment of the first trainee cohort, the appointment of a new Operations Manager/Trainer, and multiple funding wins supporting future training programmes and community initiatives, signalling a strong phase of growth and impact.
April 2026 – New Beginnings and Growing Impact at Plateful Café
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 Ismail Almatheab as the organisation’s first full-time Operations Manager and Trainer, marking a shift towards greater operational capacity and the upcoming launch of training programmes and a new café, signalling an important phase of sustainable growth.
https://mailchi.mp/
This newsletter reflects on a strong 2024, celebrating community events that welcomed 131 attendees and raised £2,343.50, alongside Plateful being named a Lewisham Community Champion. It looks ahead to 2025 with ambitions to grow impact, secure a permanent kitchen, launch new supper clubs, and kick off the year with a Sudanese Plateful Late in collaboration with Mike’s Table.
https://mailchi.mp/
March’s update thanks supporters for a successful February collaboration with Mike’s Table, which welcomed 36 guests for a Sudanese dinner with live jazz. It highlights upcoming market stalls, a community dinner at SET Social, and the launch of private supper clubs as a new income stream supporting refugee chefs.
https://mailchi.mp/
This edition shares updates on Plateful’s ongoing search for a permanent kitchen while celebrating a busy March, including a successful market stall at SET Social. It promotes the Brockley Supper Club model, announces participation in the Telegraph Hill Festival, and previews the first Iranian private supper club hosted in Brockley.
https://mailchi.mp/
May highlights growing momentum, including external catering, community stalls, and securing a Lewisham Council grant to host a special Refugee Week community meal in June. It introduces Saleh, a Yemeni asylum seeker supported through paid stall work and English practice, and celebrates the first private supper club raising £700 from 18 guests.
https://mailchi.mp/
June celebrates Volunteer Week and Refugee Week, spotlighting the vital contribution of Plateful’s extensive volunteer team across events, finance, design, fundraising and delivery. The newsletter reinforces Plateful’s community-led model and gratitude for the people who make refugee employment and cultural exchange possible.
https://mailchi.mp/
This edition reflects on a joyful June and looks ahead to a packed July, including the Community Dinner Fundraiser at Spitalfields City Farm and the launch of a weekly Wednesday residency at Hill Station Café. It also shares Aref’s story, highlighting the human impact of the asylum system and Plateful’s role as a space of dignity, purpose and belonging.
https://mailchi.mp/
August recaps a highly productive July, including catering for organisations such as the International Rescue Committee and the start of Plateful’s Hill Station Café residency. It welcomes two new cooks from Sudan and Ethiopia, celebrates the launch of Plateful’s first refugee-led business, and highlights a volunteer team of 40+ people powering the organisation.
https://mailchi.mp/
This reflective newsletter addresses the rise in far-right hostility while reaffirming Plateful’s mission to create belonging and paid opportunities for refugees. It outlines ambitious impact goals, including training 30 refugees, securing 5 work placements, and moving 3 chefs into employment, while previewing autumn events, new residencies, and Christmas plans.
