A one off supper club in Hackney will showcase recipes “remembered” by brain injury survivors.
All 35 patrons who attend the charity event organised by brain injury charity Headway East London will receive a copy of the recipe book, A Meal To Remember – Recipes and Stories from the Headway Kitchen.
The dishes have been suggested by many of the 178 people who attend the day centre in Timber Wharf, Kingsland Road each week, and have been tested in the fully commercial kitchen at its lunch club.
The idea of “remembering” food dishes is a challenge for many of Headway’s members, who may have been involved in accidents like a car crash, falling off a bike, falling down stairs, being in a fight, or who may have a medical reason for brain injury like undergoing a stroke.
Headway spokeswoman Alex Beattie said: “Lots of our members have difficulty remembering things, remembering a dish is about telling a story about their life, sharing it with people is therapeutic and satisfying, , and they’re really proud of the book.
“Remembering recipes is about sharing something, it’s a way to remember yourself and make new friends, and help tell your story a bit and its really good to focus on something positive and tangible like dinner.
“How a brain injury affects people can vary massively, and things change on a daily basis, I suppose that means that some days people might be able to remember a lot more clearly than other days, some people can form new memories but can’t remember old ones.”
She said there’s a lot of sense of loss with an acquired brain injuries – which is what Headway specialises in - rather than people affected by brain injury from birth.
“It’s about who were you if you were active and had your senses prior to the accident.
Our members may lose their jobs, they may find it harder to communicate with friends and family, all the things that keep people ticking over can be severely affected like your mobility and sense of self.
What we do here is try and support people through that process and beyond to a new life.
A melting pot of cuisines from around the world will be served on the night, from bubble and squeak to jerk chicken and Persian soups, reflecting the diverse membership of Headway East London and the fact that anyone and everyone can be and is, affected by brain injury.
Tickets for the event at 7pm on Thursday March 6 cost £35 and are available at www.wegottickets.com.
The price includes an evening full of food, a drink on arrival plus a copy of ‘A Meal to Remember’, with drinks on sale.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here