A piece by volunteer Sara Lopez, on the compassionate side of the catering industry found through women’s cooking collectives which are popping up in east London. As well as sharing rich cuisines with Londoners, these groups help their chefs and members to find jobs, support and, most importantly, community.

In London, approximately 54% of the population are non-UK born, of which approximately 52% are women. Settling into a new country can be a difficult, tasking experience as it is brought along with the movement away from your social network, familiar support, and often from the confidence that comes along with the experience of knowing your surroundings. All these setbacks are multiplied when someone’s immigrant experience intersects with other traits of marginalisation such as gender, race, and religion. Women face more obstacles when trying to break into employment once they make their move, but in the food sector of London’s East End there are projects and collectives that directly address these roadblocks.

One of these projects is Mazí Mas. Mazí Mas is a roaming restaurant that creates a space for migrant and refugee women to work and create. The menu is ever-changing, dependent on the women working at the time. The plates come from all over the world, as varied as the people who work at this social enterprise. This concept was started by Nikandre Kopcke in 2012 when, in her own words, she decided to “stop talking feminism, and start doing it.” She was inspired by her godmother, Maria Marouli, who wanted to start her own bakery but whose husband opposed the idea. Kopcke recognised how many other women are in a similar position, facing patriarchal obstacles that come in a variety of forms. She began the Mazí Mas enterprise as a way to alleviate at least some of the pressures migrant and refugee women face when looking for work in a new country. In Mazí Mas call out for new recruits, it is clear that this is a ‘doing feminism’ organisation: “an invitation to all underemployed women who have a passion for food and want to share their stories” and emphasises that childcare will be provided. In an industry often known for grueling hours, egocentrism and toxic masculinity, environments like Mazí Mas are much-needed. To off-balance the cut-throat reputation of the restaurant business, this enterprise shows that collaboration and care are just as effective for cooking.

For Mazí Mas, the reviews are positive. Those that have gotten the chance to taste the creations this group of women cooks up do so with words of praise, complimenting the variety of dishes available and how delicious this food is. This is not all, the women who work at Mazí Mas share the positive impact of the restaurant. In a video produced by AJ+ Elizabeth Vol, one of the chefs, states “I believe food is about culture” and goes on to explain how her time at Mazí Mas helped her transition from being a migrant adjusting to London, a new language, and rejections, to having a place where she could share her culture, and share with others who understood her story. For people like me who have worked in kitchens and seen employees burn themselves out doing 12+ hour shifts, it might come as a relief to know that professional cooking can exist in a way that is healthier for everyone involved. Mazí Mas has been a jumping-off point for chefs, with women branching out into their own cooking projects after working in this kitchen.

Happily, this is not the only social enterprise to come from the East End. Brick Lane has Kahaila, a café which seeks to act as a place open to the community and a space to promote faith and charity. Incredible projects such as Luminary Bakery have flourished from Kahaila. Luminary is run entirely by women "who have had a social and economic disadvantage." These bakeries ensure that the women working feel supported, safe, and comfortable, including taking extra measures such as reminding guests to not include any staff members when taking photos at their locations. Like Kopcke, founder Alice Williams saw a need for a restaurant that catered to women in difficult or marginalised positions and forged ahead creating this more understanding space.

The ongoing pandemic has, without doubt, been a difficult time for the food industry, with restaurants losing their dining-in options and a likely long road ahead to entice back customers at a time of more cautious spending. However, I hope that from this time there can come a renewal; a reflection upon the ways the industry operates and can discriminate. In an article about women’s restaurant collectives in London, chefs describe the way that kitchens operated by men can be a place of toxicity and bullying, as well as inflexibility that is incompatible with many women’s lives. In addition, racism is also present in kitchens and in food criticism. In the wake of Black Lives Matter, London-based cook Melissa Thompson wrote a piece about the erasure of Black voices in British cuisine. That the country’s elite lists of best restaurants rarely include African or Caribbean cuisine or, worse, that this cuisine is absent altogether points to a larger issue of representation and recognition. It is perhaps no coincidence that collectives and social enterprises are more inclusive of Black voices, of voices of colour, of those who are marginalised despite the wonders of food these women bring to the city. Optimistically, I hope the future of the hospitality industry sees more enterprises like these, that uphold inclusion and cooperation, and I hope we can all be more conscientious to support projects that are run by those who work for holism and empathy. 

It is clear that when women are in charge of kitchens there is a greater understanding of women’s needs, and many factors that would normally keep wonderful cooks out of kitchens are actually addressed. Initiatives like Mazí Mas, Kahaila and Luminary are beginning to populate the city, taking into account factors like child-care responsibility and creating a social sphere that gives the opportunity for immigrant women to be creative and autonomous. These spaces, and the fact that women’s collectives surrounding food are growing, help many migrant women avoid feeling they are in a new country with no options for their livelihood. Because women-led restaurants, cafés and clubs focus so much more on their members that there is an opportunity to build back that social network that one loses through immigration. Feeling a part of a community, having confidence in the ability to provide, being an ambassador for a country’s cuisine, these are all essential aspects towards ensuring women can thrive in this city.  

Sources

Melissa Thompson, ‘Black Erasure in the British Food Industry’, https://vittles.substack.com/p/vittles-612-black-erasure-in-the

Jordan Kelly-Linden, ‘Meet the all-female collectives helping women get ahead in hospitality’, https://foodism.co.uk/features/long-reads/all-female-collectives-in-london/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aug18

Kashmira Gander, ‘Mazi Mas: The life-changing restaurant staffed by migrant and refugee women’ https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/hackney-restaurant-mazi-mas-is-using-the-power-of-food-to-tackle-prejudice-against-refugees-recipe-a6963261.html

Luminary Bakey Website, https://luminarybakery.com/pages/about-us

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, London and its Boroughs: Census Profile, https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/london-census-profile/

Author

Sara is currently a Masters student writing a dissertation on representation and pop-culture media. She's very invested in mythology, folklore, and local histories. When not reading about regional legends or watching tours about London and beyond she can be found investigating cuisine, looking for new food series to watch, or getting informed with ongoing activism. She believes in the power of stories and hopes to always have a chance to keep learning more.

Twitter: @Essaysbased