THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX WILL VISIT THE HUBB COMMUNITY KITCHEN
Al Manaar, North Kensington
Wednesday 21st November, 2018
The Duchess of Sussex will visit the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how the funds raised by Together: Our Community Cookbook are already making a difference.
Supported by The Royal Foundation and published by Penguin Random House companies, Together features over 50 recipes from women whose community was affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Last summer, a group of women gathered in a communal kitchen at the Al Manaar community centre in West London, where they could prepare fresh food for their families, friends and neighbours. As they cooked together and shared recipes, as a community they began to connect, heal and look forward. Word spread and more women joined in – this was the start of the Hubb Community Kitchen.
Thanks to the proceeds from Together, which was published in September, the Hubb Community Kitchen has been completely redesigned and re-fitted, with the women’s input, to capture the joyful spirit of the Hubb Community Kitchen as a place to bring the community together over food. The new facilities provide a safe and professional space for the women to cook, gather and run activities within their community.
Previously the kitchen was only able to open two days a week due to funding. The women are now able to use the kitchen seven days a week, and have been upskilled to gain food hygiene qualifications and empowered to start their own projects, which will help others in their community benefit from the kitchen.
The Duchess, who has made regular private visits to the kitchen since January 2018, will meet the women as they prepare fresh meals for the local community in the newly renovated kitchen. The women will be preparing 200 meals in just one day, to be delivered to local groups, including elderly people’s homes, homeless shelters and women’s refuges.
The Duchess will learn about some of the planned new outreach projects at the kitchen, which will be funded by proceeds from Together. Supported and mentored by UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs, the women are now embarking on their own projects including a group for women affected by domestic violence, a scheme to deliver nutritious, freshly cooked meals for women on maternity wards, and a project to produce healthy treats for children. Her Royal Highness will also hear about the women’s long-term vision for the Hubb Community Kitchen, and how they hope to use future proceeds to reach out to more people in their community.
Since the book was published in September, the inclusive ethos of Together has resonated all over the world, and inspired people not just to buy the book, but to cook, eat and gather in their own communities. Together reached number one on Amazon.co.uk book chart within hours of being announced, and has appeared in the Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller lists, selling tens of thousands of copies since its release. An update on book sales and proceeds will be given on the day.
