UNHCR and Food Sweet Food launch the Refugee Food Festival in 13 major European cities in support of refugee integration

UNHCR and the NGO Food Sweet Food announced today that the Refugee Food Festival, a civil society led initiative born last year to showcase refugees’ cooking talents and facilitate their integration, is expanding to thirteen major European cities in 2017.

The 2017 edition of the Refugee Food Festival will take place in Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Athens, Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, Milan, Bari, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Lille as part of World Refugee Day celebrations. Between 15 and 30 June, more than 50 restaurants will open their kitchens to refugee chefs from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Somalia, Syria and Ukraine to name a few. Other cities have expressed their interest and might follow.

The French-born initiative started last year through a partnership between the NGO Food Sweet Food and UNHCR, with the support of partners, citizens, local authorities, restaurants and private businesses.

The first edition took place in Paris in June 2016. Over 1,000 people enjoyed the food prepared by refugee chefs from India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Russia, Sri Lanka and Syria in eleven restaurants, which opened their kitchens and changed their menus for the occasion.

“The Refugee Food Festival has been a resounding success, with people calling from all over the world wanting to replicate it,” said Marine Mandrila, one of the initiative’s founders.

“Its expansion to several European cities stems from the desire of many citizens across Europe to engage with and welcome refugees in their own country. Refugees will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and promote their food traditions and ordinary people will discover a new culture through its cuisine,” she added.

“The Refugee Food Festival is a wonderful project that brings citizens and refugees together around a positive cultural experience, namely the simple joy of preparing a nice meal and enjoying some good food,” said Vincent Cochetel, Director of UNHCR’s Europe Bureau. “It also helps to generate awareness about refugees and creates opportunities for refugee chefs, promoting their talents and integration,” he added.

“The Festival has helped me make friends,” confirmed Emad, a Syrian chef who cooked during the first Refugee Food Festival. “It was especially important for me, as I was discovering a new culture, a new country and a new language. The food makes you smile and learn more. When I cook, I feel it helps me find myself,” he said.

The event has been an accelerator for refugees’ culinary careers in France by showcasing their cooking skills, resulting in professional opportunities for all participating refugee chefs.

In light of this success, Food Sweet Food and UNHCR developed a toolkit for those wanting to organize a Refugee Food Festival in their city. It gathers inputs from chefs, customers, partners and refugees.

The exact schedule and list of partner restaurants will soon be made available here: www.refugeefoodfestival.com/

Follow Twitter @RefugeeFoodFest and www.facebook.com/RefugeeFoodFestival/ 

About Food Sweet Food

Food Sweet Food is a French NGO created in 2013 to promote food traditions around the world. The founders, Marine Mandrila and Louis Martin, have travelled across 18 countries over the past three years and cooked with locals in their homes and communities. This project convinced them that food is a fantastic way to connect with, share and discover each other.

Today, the movement includes a documentary series on Planète+, a culinary roadbook at La Martinière Editions, a food chronicle on France Inter radio, and a citizen engagement which became the Refugee Food Festival.

Visit www.foodsweetfood.org/ – Follow Twitter @FoodSweetFood and Facebook www.facebook.com/FoodSweetFood

About UNHCR

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCR safeguards the rights and well-being of refugees and stateless people. In more than six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives. UNHCR is on the front lines of the world's major humanitarian crises, including Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and countless other emergencies.

Visit www.unhcr.org – Follow Twitter @Refugees - @Refugeesmedia and www.facebook.com/UNHCR/

Stand #WithRefugees. Please sign the petition: http://withrefugees.org

For media enquiries please contact:

UNHCR

• In Paris, Céline Schmitt, [email protected], +33 6 23 16 11 78
• In Geneva, Cecile Pouilly, [email protected], +41 79 108 26 25

Food Sweet Food

• Marine Mandrila, [email protected], +33 6 22 20 64 85
• Louis Martin, [email protected], +33 6 65 56 70 38