Friendly faces, the scent of aromatic pastries and chai brought people together to Risingholme for the first of three café pop-ups this year. The café is an initiative run by the Share Kai Cook’s Collective and offers talented women from refugee and migrant backgrounds a pathway for growing their skills in management, customer service, and gives them an opportunity to earn income by sharing the food traditions that matter to them with communities across Ōtautahi.
The group is made up of former refugee women from ethnic communities that are not visible in the hospitality sector in Aotearoa New Zealand such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Palestine and Lhotshampa (Bhutanese of Nepali descent). Each café features a curated menu from each cuisine and is as much about enjoying delicious food as it is about sharing a table and a chat with others.
Putting learning into practice
The Cooks Collective cafés extend the spirit of Share Kai’s community dinners which Risingholme also hosted in 2024 as part of their 80th Anniversary celebrations. The café follows a similar model of roving pop-up dining experiences and has been well received by the Opawa community.
The decision to partner with Risingholme again came from an alignment in shared values. Share Kai’s Gopika Promod reflects on this collaboration:
Since its opening, Risingholme has been an important hub for the local community and a place where people could gather, connect with one another, and learn. Risingholme and InCommon and Share Kai share a common kaupapa around the value of sharing and learning together, and the community this creates. We love Risingholme’s communal and collaborative spirit, their willingness to share their beautiful spaces – the lovely hall and the park – with our team. It’s a wonderful space for communal activities. We’re excited to have the opportunity to build deeper connections with the Opawa community.
Since first connecting in 2024, Risingholme has continued to support the Cooks Collective by offering professional development opportunities such as tutor training sessions that helped them transition into starting their own cooking classes. These sessions were pivotal in building confidence and developing leadership skills. They provided valuable practice for members of the Cooks Collective to speak in front of a group of people and showcase their passion and skills — all helpful skills that they bring to their café operations.
Pramod explains that ‘the cafés and catering are a major revenue stream for the cooks and help build their name in the hospitality industry. Just like the classes, the cafés also help them build professional skill sets like finance management and self-sustenance to run a business by themselves. The cafes are special in that they create regular dining spaces where locals can connect. All of the Share Kai and Cooks Collective work enables our communities to appreciate the diverse cultures who call Ōt autahi Christchurch home.”
Speaking about the why they continue to work with Risingholme, she adds that “working outside of hospitality spaces breaks stereotypes and provides greater visibility and integration for former refugees within the community. It helps make cultural exchange a normal part of everyday life. Risingholme and our other community partners are deeply embedded in their neighbourhoods and communities of interest; these networks support the Cooks Collective to reach more people and deepen their connections”.
What can you expect?
The café is open on the first Monday of each month from September – December from 12-1.30pm (September 28, October 5, November 2, December 7).
Each month will highlight a different cuisine, and the menu is designed as a complete experience, with a halal meat option, a vegan option, a drink and something sweet. The Cooks have adapted traditional flavours and ingredients into easy-to-eat café offerings perfect for a lunchtime to takeaway or people are also invited to sit down in Risingholme’s hall and share a meal together.
Take a look at October’s menu at the bottom of this page and hear what one of the guests from the first pop-up café in September thought about the event below
Meet the cooks
Since the Collective began at the end of 2022, they have had cooks from six ethnic backgrounds: Afghan, Eritrean, Lhotshampa, Moroccan, Nepali, and Palestinian. While a few arrived as migrants, many had lived experience as refugees in Ethiopia, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nepal before becoming members of the Cooks Collective.
Among them are Tulasha and Meron who have been involved with Share Kai since 2022. Tulasha belongs to the Lhotshampa and has roots in Bhutan and Nepal, she is currently one of the cooks in the collective. Meron was born in Kassala, Sudan in a refugee camp near the border of Eritrea and works part-time as the Cooks Collective Coordinator. They Sat down with us to reflect on what the café means to them and share some of their favourite food memories.
Kia ora Tulasha and Meron! We’re excited to have you back at Risingholme, this time with a new venture. Tell us about the experience you’ve had in shaping this café and what it means to you?
Tulasha
Tulasha: It’s an opportunity to do something new and exciting. We didn’t realize how many people would love our food until we started here. We get treated like family by so many new people. It makes us so proud and excited that someone tries our food for the first time and loves it. It’s also a leadership and growth opportunity for so many of us and we’ve been introduced to new things like learning health & safety, and riding a bike!
Meron: Share Kai and the Cooks Collective cafés are so important for us, we’re all mothers and sometimes you don’t see many people when you become a mum, especially from other communities. I’m a people person, I really like to talk to people and be connected. At the café the Cooks Collective women all work together. I really like the other ladies and how we help each other. Sharing food and meeting and talking to new people, they’re all the most important things! And it’s really nice to be able to eat other people’s food!
Meron
Speaking of food, you’re well-practised cooks with a deep understanding of flavour and technique; what are some of your favourite dishes to cook?
Tulasha: Spicy cheesy curry, it’s the national dish of Bhutan. I also love making Chicken Curry. Those two dishes remind me of family and time spent together. They also smell wonderful, people always comment on how tasty it smells
Meron: I like cooking Zigni (spicy beef) because you can do it how you like, there are no real rules. But with Doro Wat (Eritrean national dish of braised spiced chicken) there are set rules about how you cut up the chicken properly, there must be 12 pieces. All women know how the chicken should be cut. If you lose one piece they will know and ask where has it gone?! Everyone has an opinion on how it should taste. In our culture it’s a big deal cooking Doro Wat, you have to get it right.
Food, as you have both alluded to already, extends beyond simple nutritional nourishment. It’s a point of connection that helps bridge cultures, opens conversations across the table, and is deeply woven into our daily experiences. What is one food memory that has stayed with you, and how did that meal nourish you beyond just satisfying your hunger
Tulasha: I love taking care of people, showing love to them by cooking. I don’t always like to eat the food I cook, but my 17 year old son cooks for me and it’s so meaningful to me that he shows me love that way.
Meron: I learnt to cook early on from my mum and my older sisters. It’s a big deal to be able to cook well, you need to watch and learn. You watch your mum cooking everyday, that’s how you learn. My mum made sure my older sisters could cook well, then they had to make sure we could. There is a hierarchy, the younger sisters have a chance to cook for the family only when the older sisters move out.
Next cafe:
Monday 5 October, 12-1.30pm | Risingholme Hall.
