soul food sisters
Glasgow,
We’re a group of migrant women based in East Glasgow and together we’re creating
a vibrant, female-led collective based around our favourite thing: food! By
swapping recipes, ideas and skills, we’re making women’s lives brighter. Our
not-for-profit organisation brings together women from all over the world,
ending social isolation and empowering them to develop their talents- in the
kitchen and beyond. 1. WE ARE A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE When we say ‘not-for-profit’,
we mean just that! We believe that making a difference to people’s lives is more
important than making money. Soul Food Sisters’ role is to empower migrant women
in the local community to start their own businesses, encourage their abilities
and increase confidence. That’s much more valuable than a fistful of tenners. 2.
IT’S A LEARNING CURVE Sharing skills is a big deal for us. We are paid a flat
rate and we all work together, which can mean anything from peeling bags of
spuds to attending high-flying business meetings. By learning from each other,
we can become stronger and more powerful together. 3. WE ARE ALL WOMEN We are
built on the idea of sisterhood, so Soul Food Sisters is a women-only workers
co-op, open to females from diverse backgrounds who love to cook. (Sorry,
guys!). But if you’re female and you’d like to join our collective, get in
contact as we would love to hear from you. If you work with us for a while, you
could be offered membership to the co-operative. 4. EVERYTHING WE GET, WE PUT
BACK IN Soul Food Sisters have an appetite for making great food, but when it
comes to business, we’re not greedy. Any surplus cash after paying wages goes
straight back into the collective. Also our assets are locked, so in the
unlikely event we go bankrupt, nobody will be allowed to go home with the soup
urns or chopping boards! 5. WE ARE A DEMOCRACY All the women in the Soul Food
Sisters collective get a fair share and a listening ear. We make all our
decisions by consensus, which isn’t always the quickest way, or the easiest. But
consensus means that everyone is treated with respect and that we genuinely make
decisions as a unified group. Every single one of us has equal ownership. 6. WE
ARE ETHICAL To us, having a clear conscience is just as important as having a
clean kitchen. We source ethical ingredients wherever possible and support other
co-ops, making sure to buy our food locally. Of course, sometimes there are
ingredients - like rice paper, for example - that we have to go further afield
to find! But ethically sourced food is our utmost priority. 7. WE BELIEVE IN THE
POWER OF FOOD We believe that food has the power to bring people together. By
harnessing the spirit of Glasgow and it’s culturally diverse and fascinating
communities, we provide food that celebrates diversity and for people of all
cultures to enjoy together. 8. WE ARE SMART LADIES FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE At
the moment, Soul Food Sisters is made up of eight women from 5 different
continents. From Malaysia and Cuba to Poland and Thailand, we are a culturally
mixed group, with many skills to share. And our talents extend further than just
the kitchen. Together our cooks can do anything, whether it’s teaching German,
making wine, designing buildings or driving trains! 9.THE HIDDEN GARDENS HAVE
HELPED US GROW We would not be here without the help of the Hidden Gardens, at
Tramway. This is the place where we met and cooked together for the first time,
and we are grateful for their continued support. 10. AND FINALLY…WE MAKE GREAT
FOOD Our food is what makes us tick. It’s who we all are, what we grew up with,
what brings us together. We believe that our food is a reflection of our
individual personalities and family traditions. And we’d like to share it with
everyone!
