Our new batch of talented Migrateful chefs have nearly finished their training and are getting ready to hold their first cookery classes in September!

This particular training class will be led by Chef Meriam from Ethiopia at Coexist, Bristol. 

This will be the first time she will teach the public. Expect a fun,home-style cooking experience where you will learn to prepare different dishes and enjoy them with people who, like you, fuel our mission of supporting refugee and migrant chefs on their journey to integration.

In this class, you will be grouped with other participants and prepare dishes together as a team, led by Chef Meriam. You will split into groups, each  responsible for creating one of the dishes. You are, of course, welcome to move around during the class to learn about the other dishes being prepared. Throughout the class, Chef Meriam will share stories about her food and culture, and help you to prepare each of the dishes so you come away with some new cooking tips and inspiration.

Please note that these are training sessions where we will be testing the dishes, and how the class runs. Think of it like a technical rehearsal at the theatre. This means it may run for longer than a normal class and involve some stop/starting. Our Chef Development team will also be present to guide and observe, along with volunteers who will help support the chef.

At the end of the class, we will invite you to provide feedback, which will be invaluable for our chef-in-training’s learning and development – especially when they start teaching normal classes.

Meriam is currently working with our Chef Development team to finalise the recipes she will be teaching in her class. We have provided a sample of the dishes which may be included in this session but will update dishes and allergen information closer to the time of the class. If you have specific dietary requirements, please wait until the allergen information has been updated to book into this class.

A sample menu of the dishes that will be taught includes:

• Doro Wot (Chicken and Tomato Stew) | Meat (Chicken)
• Misr Wot (Lentil and Tomato Stew) | Vegan
• Dinich Alicha (Potato and Carrot ) | Vegan
• Lentil Samosa with Tomato and Coriander dip | Vegan
• Timatine Salata (Tomato and Cucumber Salad) | Vegan

This menu contains meat (chicken) but is vegetarian friendly 4/5 dishes are meat free.

Kindly note that we will not be substituting any ingredients to accommodate dietary needs, so please only book into classes that suit your dietary requirements. Allergen information for this class will be updated closer to the class time. Please see our Food and Allergen Policy when booking into the class for more information.

A message from our Chef Meriam:

“Hi, my name is Meriam and I am from Ethiopia. I was born in the capital city of Addis Ababa and lived there until I came to Bristol 10 years ago with my family.

Our house in Addis Ababa was always full of people and delicious food and the kitchen was the heart of our home. The time  preparing food from scratch and sitting and enjoying meals together made life so rich and wonderful.

My mum is the most generous person, her heart is always full of love for others and she will offer food to anyone passing by. If they don’t have time to stay and eat, they can take it with them. My recipes are passed down from my mother and now when I am cooking, the smells transport me back to her kitchen. She would prepare all the spices by hand. I remember the aromas of the spices so clearly. Even more so when I am listening to Ethiopian music while I cook.”

We’re excited to have you in the class! Please take note of a few final reminders:

• Unlike normal classes, training classes cannot be booked using gift vouchers. We are also unable to accommodate any ticket transfers from non-training classes.
• We will not be able to cater to any dietary requirements nor substitute any ingredients to accommodate dietary needs so please only book into classes that suit your dietary preferences and needs. Please see our Food and Allergen Policy when booking into the class for more information.
• We will send you a reminder email 3 days before the class takes place that will include our In-Person Class COVID-19 Policy. You can also find more information on our website and social media pages.
• This small-scale class for 14 participants is not socially distanced. For those seeking a COVID-secure cookery class, please see our events online.
• Payments made through Paypal can take up to 48 hours to have the order confirmed. To guarantee your spot in a cookery class we recommend using a debit or credit card.
• We only process refunds if we are notified 7 days before the class takes place.