Bidchen Kitchen // بدكن كتشن

It's our birthday!!🦁 We're excited to invite everyone to celebrate 6 years of LION with us and to help us raise funds for our Land Pot!🎂 We will be graced with performances from @island_____girl and @choir.chiron as well as delicious Palestinian food from Bidchen Kitchen We will also have a self-guided arts & crafts table where you will have access to pens, paints, paper and embroidery. We will be selling non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks and merch, and you can book a slot in the sauna at an additional cost. This event is a fundraiser and all proceeds from it will go towards our Land Pot. This event will be for Black and People of Colour/Global Majority. 🎟️For more info and to book tickets, head to the link in our bio! Artwork by @blkmoodyboi

Even though it’s been a minute since our fundraiser eve – Ga.za on Our Mind – we wanted to send out a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on December 7th, sent in donations and helped spread the word - thank you one and all! Here are a few crowdsourced snapshots from the eve that warm our souls every time we see them. We are very grateful for everyone’s support in making the event happen against all odds, including a major storm. With your generous support, we were able to raise a grand total of £1,535.87 for Thamra, who are now expanding their essential work of getting fresh foods to families in South Ga.za (follow @thamra_org or visit their website at thamra.org for their updates). If you missed the chance to support, you can still send donations via Thamra’s GoFundMe campaign (link in bio). As for the talented artists who shared their beautiful artworks with us, you helped raise £1,310.95 for them and their families. Your contributions truly make a difference, many thanks for your support with this too. If you purchased any artworks during the exhibition, this is your friendly reminder to pick them up from Thingy Cafe. Stunning pieces by Pales.tinian and Leba.nese artists are still available — go check them out and bring some of these treasures home. Stay up-to-date with future happenings through: 🌿 @hackneyherbal ☕ @thingypeople 🍴 @bidchenkitchen With love and sincere wishes that 2025 is a much better year for us all, Maya, Sage, Nat, Mayya & Shahrazad

Doing the final recipe tweaking for a bespoke herbal tea blend for our ✨Gaza on our Mind Fundraiser✨ this Saturday 7th December with @bidchenkitchen and @thingypeople Focusing on the theme of healing the blend is centred around rose and we are excited to be using herbs that were grown in our gardens this season 🌿🌸 There are only a few tickets left so be sure to grab yours soon before they are snapped up. As well as a four-course feast of authentic Palestinian and Lebanese dishes (chicken and vegan options) there will also be an art expo and a mixture of live performances from cello to poetry to DJs. It is going to be a beautiful evening ✨ We are raising money for @thamra_org the food growing initiative in Beit Lahia, North Gaza. For us land based initiatives that are working for food sovereignty for their people by providing fresh vegetables at a time when food is extremely scarce and prices are at an all time high is where we feel the funds are most needed on this occasion. We can’t wait to welcome you! Sahha! 📆 Saturday 7th December 📍Thingy Cafe, Hackney Wick E9 5LD ⏰ 3-10pm / Dinner at 5pm / Performances from 7pm 🎟️ Ticket Donation options £40/£60/£80 - link in bio

Did we mention there’ll be music too? From cello, to poetry, to DJs, we’ll have a selection of performers after dinner at 7pm. Take a look to see who’ll be joining us in this night of solidarity. 📅 Date: Saturday, 7 December 2024 📍 Location: Thingy Cafe in Hackney Wick Doors open at 3pm for those wishing to visit the art expo and have a drink before dinner. Food will be served at 5pm, please make sure to arrive in time for then. After dinner, there will be some music to take us into the evening. Link to tickets in our bio. Don’t forget to let us know whether you’d like the vegan or chicken menu option when booking your spot. We look forward to cooking for you and communing around the dinner table altogether very soon.

Every day, we learn from the people in Gaza facing famine and forced starvation that food is inherently political. Its accessibility, variety, how it is grown, and the impact of climate change on its production are all deeply tied to politics. The Bidchen Kitchen duo is preparing a menu that weaves together the political history of these dishes with seasonal ingredients. From olive oil to sumac and semolina cake, each dish tells a story — stories that we hope will live on with and through you long after our meal together. 📅 Date: Saturday, 7 December 2024 📍 Location: Thingy Cafe in Hackney Wick At 3pm, @thingypeople cafe doors open for a powerful art exhibition featuring Palestinian and Lebanese artists based back home whose works bring resilience, beauty, and hope to life. Prints and originals will be available for purchase with all sales proceeds going directly to the artists. At 5pm (be sure to arrive by this time at the latest), we’ll be serving a four-course dinner of authentic Palestinian and Lebanese dishes by @bidchenkitchen with a healing herbal tea from @hackneyherbal . Chicken and vegan options will be available (but please note, not gluten- or nut-free, soz). After dinner, there will be some performances taking us into the evening. 🎟️ Tickets are available from £40 which includes entry to the art exhibition, the storytelling dinner and a set donation. We also offer higher donation ticket tiers of £60 and £80. Every ticket supports the food-growing project Thamra in North Gaza. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot soon -> link in bio. 🧑‍🦽 Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating, and toilet available. 💌 Can't make it irl but still want to contribute? We accept donations via Eventbrite link in bio.

We’re raising money for Thamra, the food growing initiative in Beit Lahia, North Gaza. The situation throughout the Gaza strip is dire and knowing where to channel our focus has been challenging. North Gaza in particular continues to face unspeakable violence, destruction and loss made worse by blockades on aid. Even inhabitants who were forced to evacuate South cannot return to what remains of their homes and livelihoods. For us, land based initiatives that are working for food sovereignty for their people by providing fresh vegetables at a time when food is extremely scarce and prices are at an all time high is where we feel the funds are most needed on this occasion. Go ahead and give @thamra_org a follow so you can stay up-to-date with their latest news.

We invite you to join our fundraiser art exhibition and storytelling dinner for Gaza with open arms 💞 📅 Date: Saturday, 7 December 2024 📍 Location: Thingy Cafe in Hackney Wick Starting at 3pm (yes, we mean 3 "sharp"—ish), @thingypeople cafe doors open for a powerful art exhibition featuring Palestinian and Lebanese artists based back home whose works bring resilience, beauty, and hope to life. Prints and originals will be available for purchase. From 5pm onwards, savour a four-course feast of authentic Palestinian and Lebanese dishes by @bidchenkitchen with a healing herbal tea from @hackneyherbal . Each dish comes with a story-- connecting you to the deep cultural and political roots of the food on your plate. Chicken and vegan options will be available (but please note, not gluten- or nut-free, soz). 🎟️ Tickets are available from £40 which includes entry to the art exhibition, the storytelling dinner and a set donation. We also offer higher donation ticket tiers of £60 and £80. Every ticket supports the food-growing project Thamra in North Gaza. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot soon -> link in bio! Let’s come together, raise a glass (Sahha! 🍃), and celebrate hope and life with all the mixed feelings at the table. 🧑‍🦽 Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating, and toilet available. 💌 Can't make it irl but still want to contribute? We accept donations via Eventbrite link in bio.

10 years ago, Mayya and I met in Jerusalem (or was it Ramallah?) and haven’t stopped talking about food since. Fast forward to London, and we finally made our long-time dream of 'we should cook together sometime' a reality. With heavy hearts and a shared passion, we collaborated together on community food cooking projects, and created Bidchen Kitchen — because our kitchen is ‘bitchen,’ and we know you'll want it too. This isn’t a self-promo. Truthfully, I’ve struggled with social media, and this page hasn't been active for over 6 years. But with the ongoing genocide and famine, I feel compelled to do something rather than feel paralyzed by grief, which I mostly do because these days, it feels impossible to exist outside of pain and loss. So since food is what we know, and politics is all we talk about, we've organized a community event with Thingy Cafe and Hackney Herbal on December 7. We'll gather to eat, discuss food-politics, and showcase artwork by talented artists mainly from Gaza and Beirut. Each piece will be available to purchase, supporting these voices and visions. I'm humbled to be part of such a loving collective, even while my feelings are tangled with guilt about hosting an event in a time of famine and ethnic cleansing. I feel compelled to show the world that we as people of the levant are more than our suffering, we are more than dead bodies on your feed. We exist beyond pain. Join us, if you can. ♥️

Come be part of something special on Saturday, 7 December 2024! Join us with @thingypeople and @hackneyherbal for an unforgettable evening filled with art, food, music, and culture from Palestine and Lebanon. Doors open at 3:00 pm (that’s 3:00 pm “sharp” —or, you know, Arab time, just not too Arab), inviting you to explore a moving art exhibition featuring Palestinian and Lebanese artists – many of whom are living and creating in Gaza and Beirut. Their work offers powerful insights into resilience, pain and beauty. Prints and original works will be available for purchase, with proceeds going directly to these artists. Then, from 5:00 pm (or 5:15, if we’re being realistic), we will share with you our family style four-course feast of authentic Palestinian and Lebanese dishes lovingly prepared by yours truly, paired with a special tea blend created by Hackney Herbal for healing body and soul. Each dish comes with a story, connecting you to the deep cultural and political roots of the food on your plate. Our set menu includes both chicken and vegan options (note: this event is not gluten-free or nut-free), and drinks will be available for purchase. Stay tuned for teasers of the menu—this is one feast you won't want to miss! Tickets are available in three tiers—£40/£60/£80 per person—on a pay as you can basis where the higher the tier, the larger your donation. Every ticket directly supports @thamra_org 's essential work on the ground in North Gaza. Please note that tickets are non-refundable, as all proceeds go directly to support the charity. Spaces are limited, so don’t wait to secure your spot for a night filled with art, food, and love. Let’s raise a glass (or as we say in Arabic, Sahha!) — to health, to community, and to hope. Link to tickets in bio, see you on December 7th! Accessibility info: Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.

Bidchen Kitchen - phonetically you know what we’re getting at… What you probably ddin’t know is that in the Palestinian Peasant Farmer ‘Fala7i’ accent, the letter K is pronounced as CH. And Bidchen means ‘you want/do you want’ in its feminine conjugation cause, you know, majority rules in our kitchen (not the patriarchy). So Bidchen Kitchen cause our food is most definitely bitchin’ AND you know you want it! Who’s behind Bidchen Kitchen? Mayya & Shahrazad, two community chefs who met in Jerusalem over 10 years ago now and whose paths recently crossed again in London. Mayya is a community chef and organiser of Palestinian and Lebanese heritage and Shahrazad is a Palestinian born and raised in Haifa. We’re bound by our love of delicious Levantine home cooking and a deep-seated cultural practice of feeding people. We’re basically the two feeder-aunties you always wanted // never knew you needed in your lives. What’s Bidchen Kitchen all about? It’s the start of a cooking collective where we’ll be weaving the political and cultural context of Levantine foods, dishes and kitchen practices into our family-style food gatherings. Come for the food, leave with the stories and new found food knowledge you can bring into your own kitchens. Oh and if you’re here wondering who's the talent behind our beautiful بدكن كتشن Arabic calligraphy cooking pot logo design, all credit goes to the one and only @mqumboz . Stay tuned for news on Bidchen Kitchen’s upcoming launch fundraising event very soon!