To mark International Day of Peace (21 September), peacebuilding charity International Alert is opening an innovative three-week pop-up restaurant combining great food with illuminating conversations about peace.
Conflict Kitchen London, which launches in partnership with Grub Club and Monikers Restaurant in Hoxton Square on 11 September and runs through to 27 September, will offer diners a unique culinary experience, serving dishes from regions around the world affected by conflict.
Each week the Kitchen will be taken over by a different cuisine, with a group of talented female chefs sharing the incredible flavours of Burma, Jordan and Peru.
Experiential pop-up
This is an experiential pop-up: as well as sharing a delicious meal at communal tables, diners will be encouraged to strike up conversation and discover something new about the conflict and prospects for peace in these regions.
“Food is a powerful metaphor for peace. Like art or music, it’s a universal language that brings people together. Indeed, the practice of ‘breaking bread’ is a tradition as old as society itself,” says Phil Champain, Director of Emerging Programmes at International Alert.
Inspired by a US phenomenon of the same name – a take-out restaurant that serves food from countries America is in conflict with – London’s first ever Conflict Kitchen will run from 11 to 27 September.
Burmese, Jordanian, and Peruvian food
Diners will have the chance to feast on and ask the chefs questions about the history of these lesser known cuisines. Conflict Kitchen London will become only the second restaurant in the whole of Europe to serve Burmese food. A Jordanian chef and archaeologist will then take guests on an exploration into the origins of the country’s flavours, while the Peruvian nights of the third week will introduce Amazonian dishes, which are often underrepresented in London restaurants.
“I am delighted to be collaborating with Conflict Kitchen London”, says Burmese chef Debbie Riehl. “I am convinced that sharing a meal can be a vehicle for discussing important global issues that affect us all.”
‘New heights’ rooftop grill
Hoping to get more Londoners talking peace, International Alert will also take Conflict Kitchen London to ‘new heights’ with a rooftop grill at the Queen of Hoxton on 20 and 21 September. Delicious Middle Eastern food and cocktails will be served to spark conversation about the ongoing conflicts in the region, with the menu consisting of recipes donated by top chefs Yotam Ottolenghi, Anissa Helou and Claudia Roden.
Conflict Kitchen London is part of the Talking Peace Festival, a month-long series of events hosted by International Alert to celebrate peace and the power of words in resolving conflicts.
To win a pair of tickets to Conflict Kitchen, tweet a picture of the food that for you inspires peace, with the hashtag #food4peace (3 pairs of tickets to give away).
Where and when
Monikers Restaurant, 16 Hoxton Square, London N1 6HT
Burma: Thursday 11th – Saturday 13th September
Jordan: Wednesday 17th – Saturday 20th September
Peru: Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th September
To book tickets click here
For more information click here
Follow on Twitter @talkpeacefest and join the conversation, using #talkingpeace.
International Alert
International Alert is one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organisations, with nearly 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace in more than 25 countries around the world. We believe dialogue is a crucial aspect of building peace. We bring together different sides of a conflict to discuss issues, and to identify possible solutions that will avoid violence.
For more information about International Alert click here
Grub Club
Grub Club is the destination for London’s best pop-up restaurants. Established and budding chefs provide exciting and unexpected menus, in unique spaces within the city.
For more information about Grub Club click here
Monikers
Monikers is a bar and restaurant located in London’s Hoxton Square that regularly houses innovative pop-ups.
For more information about Monikers click here
The chefs
Debbie Riehl
Debbie was born in Burma and moved to England when she was five years old. Part Burmese, Debbie has been cooking Burmese food all her life and is committed to getting more people to discover this unknown cuisine. She runs HushHushDining, a Burmese supper club, and also hosts pop-up restaurants.
For more information about HushHushDining click here
Twitter: @hushhushdining
Batool Rasheed
Currently supported by The Prince’s Trust and with previous work experience at Ottolenghi, Batool is a Jordanian chef and archaeologist with an infectious passion for sharing the flavours and history of her country’s cuisine.
Facebook: Batooli’s
Instagram: @batooli_s
Marlith Tenazoa Del Aguila
Marlith’s food reflects her background, raising the profile of Amazonian cuisine. She has previously worked in London restaurants, including Tierra Peru in Islington, and is also a part of the social enterprise and roaming restaurant, Mazi Mas, that provides migrant women with the opportunity to pursue their culinary passions.
Twitter: @eatmazimas
Facebook: Mazi Mas