Meghan Markle Just Returned to the Hubb Community Kitchen
When Megan Markle helped a group of women launch a community cookbook she hoped it would raise funds to make a difference-and now she is seeing firsthand that it has.
This morning, the pregnant Duchess of Sussex has returned to the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London, which has been completely redesigned and will now be open seven days a week thanks to the proceeds from Together: Our Community Cookbook.
Wearing a dress and coat by Club Monaco, Meghan was welcomed warmly on arrival. (We will update this post with photos as soon as they are available.)
The Duchess has become firm friends with the women who use the kitchen since she started making secret visits there in January, 2018, before she was even married to Prince Harry. Through these visits Meghan witnessed how the space had became a focal point for women to gather and prepare fresh food in the aftermath of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire which ravaged homes and killed 72 people.
And she came up with the idea for the cookbook on hearing that the kitchen was only able to open two days per week because of a lack of funding. Launching Together in September at Kensington Palace, Meghan described the project as a "tremendous labor of love."
In a foreword she wrote: "I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together.“ Describing her first visit to the kitchen she wrote: "An apron was quickly wrapped around me, I pushed up my sleeves, and I found myself washing the rice for lunch."
The book features more than 50 recipes, including Meghan's favorite avocado and green chili dip, which she makes at home. It quickly reached number one on the Amazon book chart and has appeared in the Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller lists.
In addition to now being able to use the kitchen seven days a week, the women have gained food hygiene qualifications and have been empowered to start their own projects.
Today the Duchess joins them as they are preparing 200 meals in just one day to be delivered to local groups including elderly people’s homes, homeless shelters, and women’s shelters.
Outreach projects planned include a group for women affected by domestic violence, a plan to deliver nutritious, freshly cooked meals for women in hospital maternity wards, and a project to produce healthy treats for children.
('You Might Also Like',)
