Available now
Meet Our Mothers
An interactive cookbook celebrating Bradford’s heritage.
Dinner’s ready! Our beautiful Bradford cookbook celebrated family, community and the unifying power of food.
Meet Our Mothers was a collection of treasured family recipes and stories from across Bradford District, compiled into a beautiful cookbook for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
We brought together 41 recipes from across Bradford and across the generations: from mothers and fathers, grandparents and great-grandparents, daughters and sons. There’s banga soup from Nigeria, stew from Wales, marble cake from Ukraine, pie and peas from Keighley, and, of course, plenty of curry too – a much loved staple of Bradford’s food scene. All the dishes are introduced by the people who know them best, from students to seniors.
Meet Our Mothers was a tribute to the power of family ties and the bonds that keep us connected. It’s a celebration of Bradford’s diversity, and of the generosity of those who’ve chosen to make their homes here. And it’s a mouthwatering invitation to pull up a chair, pick up a fork and chow down together. Bring a full heart and an empty stomach!
Our Bradford cookbook has now sold out, but you can still explore the stories of the incredible people behind Meet our Mothers.
Thank you to everyone who took part in our engagement sessions to create Meet Our Mothers: including African Caribbean Wellbeing Café, Association of Ukrainian Women in Bradford, Leeds GATE, Nigerian Community Association in Bradford, the Rohingya Centre, University of Bradford Ghanaian Society, University of Bradford Indian Society, and Women Zone. Through storytelling, conversation and creative activities, participants shared memories, maternal histories and intergenerational experiences, shaping the content and spirit of the book.
Commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, based on an original idea by Deepa Mann-Kler, Akeelah Bertram & Shanaz Gulzar.
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Lead image: © Sally Robinson
