Our social mission

Hey! Food is Ready is more than just an event catering service. For us, it is a movement to bring new voices to the table. Our aim is to promote diversity through food, showcase food cultures from minority ethnic groups, and support local cooks.

We help refugees, immigrants, stay-at-home parents, retirees, or anyone who loves cooking to use our platform to share their native cuisine, culture, and stories with the wider community and generate a meaningful income.

Six women sitting around a table celebrating, with a plate of chocolate cupcakes topped with sprinkles, drinks, and flowers hanging from the ceiling. They are smiling and posing for a photo near a large window.

We believe that food and culture are connected, they are essential for building the foundations of communities and encouraging cultural assimilation.

Our social impact so far

85% of our cooks are women

We encourage people of all genders to be independent in their profession and reach their full potential as food entrepreneurs.

Over 40 countries and cultures represented

From Sri Lanka to Jamaica, our aim is to build intercultural understanding across the community by showcasing a greater selection of cuisine from all around the world.

Supporting Immigrants and Refugees

We provide weekly sessions for immigrant and refugee home cooks at local community centres in Newcastle. Alongside this, we set up a commercial kitchen for those who do not have access to facilities.

Role Modelling

As we founded the company while studying, we are passionate about inspiring other students. We have delivered talks on entrepreneurship at universities across the UK and regularly take on interns.

A group of women gathered around a table in a room with large windows. One woman is standing and looking at her phone, while the others are seated, some also using their phones. There are plants and decorative paper hearts hanging near the window.

Our weekly session with female refugees and immigrants at our local Newcastle community centre.

A classroom presentation with students seated at tables looking at a large screen. Two presenters are standing at the front, near the screen displaying a slide about an online marketplace for home cooks from diverse backgrounds, called 'Hey! Food is Ready?'.

Guest speaking at Hull University business school about how we started Hey! Food is Ready.

Highlight of our refugee cooks

People at a buffet table with various dishes, at a celebration decorated with Union Jack flags.
A woman in a colorful patterned headscarf and dress serving food at a table with various dishes, including curry and pastry, at an indoor event.
Smiling woman wearing a hijab, blue gloves, and an apron gives a thumbs-up while cooking on a stove.
Three women in a kitchen, two are rolling out dough with wooden rolling pins and wearing blue gloves. The third woman stands in the background, observing the others.
People enjoying a buffet table with various dishes at a social gathering or celebration inside a decorated room.
A woman in a black headscarf and blue jacket serving cooked meat from a baking dish in a kitchen
A young woman with brown hair wearing a blue apron and blue gloves cooking on a stove, flipping food in a small pan, in a kitchen with a tiled wall and various kitchen appliances and utensils visible.
Group of ten women standing together in an indoor space, smiling for the photo.

Our environmental impact

We work closely with our chefs to implement practices that benefit both the environment and our communities.

🧑‍🍳Sustainable practices by our chefs:

1️⃣ We encourage our chefs to utilise sustainable practices that minimise food waste. This includes using reusable or compostable packaging, creatively utilising leftovers and partnering with platforms like Too Good To Go to avoid food waste.

2️⃣ We advocate for responsible sourcing practices by encouraging chefs to focus on local and seasonal ingredients, minimising transport emissions and supporting local farms.

3️⃣ We promote the use of energy-saving practices in the kitchen among chefs, such as employing air fryers as a substitute for frying, to reduce dependence on palm oil.

💼 Sustainable practices by our clients:

1️⃣ We encourage the use of their own plates and cutlery during events, further minimising waste generation.

By working together, we can create a more sustainable food system that benefits both the environment and the communities we serve.