Cafe Stepping Stone Dickson offers employment and training to women facing barriers to employment. Photo: Stepping Stone Dickson.
Stepping Stone Cafe Dickson and Her Kitchen Table are presenting Food & Stories: A Delicious Evening of Empowerment, Stories and New Connections.
The three-course meal will celebrate the extraordinary stories of migrant and refugee women, with proceeds from the dinner supporting and expanding training programs through Her Kitchen Table and Stepping Stone Cafe.
Nazia Ahmed is the founder and director of the Social Outcomes Lab and the co-founder of Her Kitchen Table. Photo: Supplied.
Her Kitchen Table was founded by The Social Outcomes Lab in 2021 as a take-home meal and catering service aimed at removing barriers to employment for culturally and linguistically diverse women living in Canberra.
Social Outcomes Lab founder Nazia Ahmed says that people coming to the dinner can expect “great food, good vibes and amazing stories about the history of food from all around the world”.
Cafe Stepping Stone founders Hannah Costello and Vanessa Brettell opened their first location in Strathnairn in 2020 and expanded to Dickson in the Common Grounds social housing project last year.
They are usually open during the day, but this dinner is a rare chance to enjoy the space in the evening. The two organisations have collaborated in the past, but this is their first dinner together.
Cafe Stepping Stone will host the event on Sunday, 4 August. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
“Over the years, we’ve become friends because we share a common vision,” Nazia told Region.
“There is some overlap of staff with some of our meal artists also working at Stepping Stone, and Her Kitchen Table actually catered for Vanessa and Hannah’s wedding!”
The Food & Stories fundraising dinner will feature a three-course, vegetarian feast. Each course will be accompanied by a story from the chef who created it. Diners will hear about their personal journey, as well as the inspiration behind each dish.
“There will be two cooks from Stepping Stone and one meal artist from HKT. They all have different backgrounds, from Bangladesh, Turkiye and Afghanistan, so there will be a real range of dishes,” Nazia said.
“Each cook will talk through the origins of that particular cuisine and the history of how food has evolved in that country.”
Nazia said the two organisations are making plans for regular future events.
“We hope to make this an ongoing series with events every couple of months.”
Her Kitchen Table has been upgrading its online ordering in collaboration with the University of Canberra. Photo: Social Outcomes Lab.
Food & Stories will be held on Sunday, 4 August, from 5 pm to 9 pm at Cafe Stepping Stone Dickson, 8 Hawdon Place, Dickson. Bookings are essential, and spaces are limited.
Find out more about Cafe Stepping Stone, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Learn about Her Kitchen Table, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Loading ...
