From Pakistan to the UK: Shazia’s Culinary Journey and Dreams
Shazia comes from Pakistan, where she was always surrounded by food and grew up watching her mother cook.
Her passion for cooking and healthy eating blossomed early, fuelled by her love for watching cookery shows on TV. Inspired by these shows, she learned that apples were particularly beneficial and would buy them despite their high cost. Shazia describes her lifestyle in Pakistan as healthy, with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and an active daily routine. Her enthusiasm for cooking grew further, leading her to take a Chinese cookery course in Pakistan.
About ten years ago, Shazia moved to the UK with her husband. It was here that she began to cook dishes for herself and her family, drawing on the culinary skills she had learnt back home. She quickly became known for her rice dishes and calls her chicken biriyani her speciality. When she can, Shazia loves to experiment with new recipes from different cuisines, relishing the challenge they present. However, adjusting to life in the UK has been difficult for her. Despite knowing some English, she has struggled with the various accents. She has faced many sacrifices and discomforts, particularly when her husband was unemployed. Her diet, activity level and even water intake changed. Living in her mother-in-law’s home, she has had to eat what was prepared for her and has had little choice in what she eats as she does not have a kitchen of her own.
While her children attended a local children’s centre in Lambeth, Shazia befriended other mothers who told her about the Food Ambassadors course at HLP. This opportunity excited her as it combined her love for cooking for her family with the chance to cook for her community with the Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate and being free in the kitchen. She enrolled in the course though unfortunately had to drop out of the last session due to illness. Disappointed, she eagerly reapplied when the course ran again and successfully completed it in December 2023.
During the course Shazia gained confidence, learned new cooking techniques, and improved her public speaking skills, supported by our Food Ambassador Lead, Yasmin. She expressed her gratitude, saying “I would like to thank Yasmin for her encouragement.” Her signature chicken biryani was a hit, earning her lots of praise from fellow participants.
Since finishing the course, Shazia has learned to prepare healthy, balanced meals for her family. She also started volunteering at HLP Pantries, cooking at the Myatts Field North Centre, where she has made friends with pantry-goers and other Food Ambassadors. She has recently been supporting in our commercial kitchen taking on paid catering opportunities. Here, she has picked up numerous tips and tricks, such as faster chopping techniques. Shazia has been actively involved in cooking for various events, including those at LEAP, Breastfeeding Network (BfN) walks, and local children’s centres.
She also has lots of plans for the future including dreams of starting her own cooking channel and filming her culinary creations at HLP. She also hopes to establish a social afterschool club where mothers and children can gather to eat and socialise.