Last Month, Sligo Global Kitchen claimed the prestigious Irish Food Writers’ Guild Community Award. The Model is delighted to see Sligo Global Kitchen recognised for all their hard work and dedication. SGK was awarded the honour by none other than the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, an organisation that celebrates indigenous food producers and organisations who create, make and share great Irish produce and products while helping to maintain Ireland’s outstanding international reputation in food and drink. We think that SGK are fully deserving of this award and congratulate them for their achievement.
SGK grew out of a simple idea; that people living locally in direct provision might appreciate the use of the arts centre’s industrial kitchen to cook and eat together, given that residents cannot cook their own food whilst living in direct provision. Anna Spearman, a studio artist at The Model, reached out to Mabel Chah to liaise with other residents in direct provision and SGK was born. Since its inception, SGK has seen hundreds of friends and strangers gather together to enjoy dishes from Syria, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ireland, Poland and other countries. These communal dinners function to foster connections between the local community and those living in direct provision. Everyone is welcome and the meals are served for free, although donations are received with gratitude. The donations that are collected are then used to fund future SGK events. SGK has been generously funded since 2015 by the Community Foundation for Ireland. Other funding sources include the Communities Integration Fund. Since it’s inception, SGK has served over a thousand people and The Model is proud to have played host to some of their most memorable events.
Since receiving the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Community Award, members of SGK have been having their say on how the win has made them feel. ‘I am very happy for the prize we have received, it is a joy to know that the collaboration of all and teamwork has resulted in this award,’ said Arle Bell Gallardo, a member of Sligo Global Kitchen. Mabel Chah, the project co-odinater of SGK, also chimed in with her point of view on the big win. ‘I think it was very rewarding and more so because we don’t do anything with the hope that we will be receiving awards or national recognition,’ said Mabel, ‘We are grateful for The Model opening it’s doors to us and to Sligo sharing in our meals and to the whole nation for taking us in. We are here!’
The next SGK kitchen event takes place in The Model this Saturday, April 14th. This event will have an added twist; as explained on the FB page: ‘We are calling this event Sligo Global Kitchen “All Men”. The men living in direct provision have asked for the ladies to take a break while the men do the cooking. Since the start of the year it’s been mostly the ladies cooking and the daddies babysitting and eating, so it’s time to flip the switch! The men of SGK are loving the idea of serving up some man-made cuisine to the women of SGK and the rest of Sligo on the 14th of April.’ SGK ‘All Men’ will be serving a range of Venezuelan, Bangladeshi, Zimbabwean & Nigerian cuisine. See you there!
SGK has also announced another event set for 3pm., 19th May. More info on this event will be available soon via our social media platforms and website.