Migrateful is an award-winning charity & social enterprise supporting asylum seekers, refugees & migrants in their journey to integration & independence. They do this by preparing them to lead cookery classes where they share their traditional cuisine, culture and stories with public and private groups.

Nothing beats a home-cooked meal shared with family! And this is what inspires our Family Style Cookery Classes, a fun, laid-back homestyle cooking experience. Here, you will learn to prepare different dishes and then enjoy them with people who, like you, fuel our mission of supporting refugee and migrant chefs on their journey to integration. It’s a cookery class with a conscience, like they say!

Your class will be led by our wonderful Chef Ali from Kurdistan, Iraq at The Mazi Project, Bristol.

Menu, subject to change:

Bamya (Okra Soup) | Vegan; Mustard
Kibbeh (Rice stuffed with Lamb) | Meat (Lamb)
Lahana Maza (CousCous Salad) | Vegan; Gluten (Wheat), Milk
Jajik (Yoghurt Sauce) | Vegetarian; Milk
Brinj (Spiced Rice) | Vegan; Tree Nuts (Walnuts, Almonds), Gluten (Wheat)
Patatay Swrawkraw (Fried Mashed Potato) | Vegan; Mustard
This menu contains meat (lamb) but is vegetarian friendly (5/6 dishes are meat free). Allergens include: mustard, gluten, milk, tree nuts.

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 Allergens Policy for more information.

A message from our Chef Ali:

“Hi, my name is Ali and I come from Kurdistan, Iraq. I grew up in a beautiful city called Sulaymaniyah. I was studying Geography at university, but in 2017 I needed to leave because it was dangerous for me to stay. When I came to Bristol in 2020 I felt relief because the people were so friendly and supportive.

I learnt to cook from my grandmother and stepmother when I was 15. They said you must look after yourself when you are at University. I discovered I loved cooking. The first things I cooked were rice and aubergine stew to go with lamb.

When I lived in Manchester with 4 friends, I did all the cooking. In Bristol I worked in a Kurdish restaurant in Old Market.

I love sharing my recipes from my country with people from different countries. Kurdish cuisine uses a lot of fresh ingredients, herbs and spices. It is very tasty but not too spicy. So I am excited to have joined Migrateful and can’t wait to share my story and culture.”

Starts at £45.