I’m so excited to share the details of a brand new project I’m launching with @unbounders. #ServingUp: Essays on food, identity and culture is a collection of 25 essays from international food professionals exploring the politics behind what we eat.

In this anthology, you’ll be able to read brilliant thought pieces on the distinction between cultural appropriation and culture appreciation, the evolution of contemporary food culture, and why we all have a responsibility to actively decolonise our diets. 

You can pledge your support to make this book happen via Unbounders website!

What is it? 

Serving Up: Essays on food, identity and culture is a new anthology exploring the intersections between the personal and the political when it comes to food. Edited by myself, this collection will feature established and emerging food professionals sharing their experiences of cooking and eating in their daily lives.

Step onto your local High Street and you’re sure to find anything you want to eat, from spicy masala dosa to fresh seafood paella. With the rapid expansion of globalisation, international cuisines have transgressed borders at an exciting pace. This increasing exposure to different ingredients and techniques are, in a sense, shortcuts to different countries and cultures.

And yet, there are existing power structures and privileges that are often bypassed when we talk about food. In an industry where restauranteurs emigrating from different countries must modify their recipes to appeal to the masses, and food professionals outside of the cis white majority are constantly ghettoised, Serving Up raises vital questions about perceptions and prejudice. It tackles the distinction between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, how entire cultures are packaged as food trends, and why certain cuisines are perceived as more prestigious compared to others.