On a beautiful June evening, we had the pleasure of sampling the fare on offer at the GRAFT Supper Club. Held at the National Waterfront Museum’s community garden space, with food by Unified Flavours, it’s part of the Swansea Community Flavours project, which brings together women from a wide range of countries and cultures through the SCVS and the Swansea Refugee & Asylum seekers group.
The garden is a sustainable, organic growing environment, creating an edible landscape to encourage participation and conversation, producing vegetables, fruits and herbs and a beautiful space for both visitors to enjoy. Each week, during the project, women take it in turns to choose a dish to cook from their homeland, using ingredients grown in the GRAFT garden. Through teaching, talking and eating, the women discovered the differences – and, perhaps more importantly, the similarities – between their cultures. There’s also a cookbook out this month, with some of the dishes from the sessions.

On this evening – with thanks to ethical catering company Shared Plate – we helped ourselves to kashke bademjan (Iranian aubergine dip on a crostini); Sri Lankan spiced rice with coconut; akara (Nigerian fried bean balls, with hot sauce); Bangladeshi samosas and biryani; dolma (rice-stuffed vegetables, an Iraqi national dish); quinoa salad with pineapple and coconut; and desserts including coconut macaroons, jalebi and Sri Lankan sweet pancakes.

Long tables, set up in a communal layout, encourage everyone to sit, talk and explore the gardens while enjoying this food. There’s a real sense of community spirit and camaraderie at the event, with many local people, friends and supporters all sat enjoying the experience. GRAFT Suppers are hosted throughout the year, using a woodfired cob oven, with speakers, music and botanically-themed cocktails.
GRAFT Supper Club, National Waterfront Museum, Oystermouth Road, Swansea
Info: museum.wales/swansea / GRAFT on Instagram
words ANTONIA LEVAY