In Collaboration With

The Migration Menu is a podcast series exploring how food, identity and memory shape the South Asian diaspora’s experience in West London. Created by anthropologists Dr Luke Heslop and Professor James Staples (Brunel University), the show delves into stories of nostalgia, authenticity and entrepreneurship across communities from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Afghanistan.
Through conversations with restaurateurs and cultural voices, the podcast uses food as a lens into broader questions of belonging and adaptation. Their second season launches with this live recording at Pitzhanger.

About James and Luke

James Staples is a Professor of Social Anthropology at Brunel University of London, and co-host of The Migration Menu podcast. His research – which he carried out in South India and, more recently, in West London – includes a focus on the anthropology of food. His most recent book is sacred Cows and Chicken Manchurian: The everyday politics of eating meat in India. You can find James on Instagram @themigrationmenu and @jimbobbin1966

Luke Heslop is a Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at Brunel University of London, and co-host of The Migration Menu podcast.  He has conducted field research in Sri Lanka and in the Maldives, as well as in West London on restaurateurs and entrepreneurship. His forthcoming book, In a Merchant’s House, draws on his work in Sri Lanka and is out later this year. You can find Luke on Instagram @themigrationmenu and @lukewhatyoudone

About Sohini Banerjee

Sohini Banerjee is a British-Bengali private chef whose cooking is deeply rooted in heritage, nourishment, and community. With over eight years of experience in London’s hospitality scene—including high-end restaurants, catering, and six years of hosting soulful, sold-out supper clubs across London, Brisbane and Kolkata —Sohini has become known for her ability to bring people together through food that feeds both body and spirit.

Raised in the UK by Bengali parents, Sohini grew up surrounded by the aromas, rituals, and values of a Bengali kitchen. Today, she weaves that legacy into every dish she creates; celebrating seasonality, intuitive spice work, and the slow, thoughtful preparation that defines so much of Bengali home cooking. Her style is predominantly vegetarian and vegan, guided by Ayurvedic principles and a zero-waste philosophy, while always staying grounded in the ethos of Bengali hospitality: abundance, care, and connection.

Sohini’s food has been featured in British Vogue (twice), The Times of India, and The Telegraph T2 (India), recognised for its balance of culture, creativity, and integrity.

Wherever she cooks—be it a home kitchen, supper club, or curated event—Sohini creates more than just a meal. She creates space for community, conversation, and shared memory through the language of food.

About Deputy Mayor, Communities and Social Justice – Debbie Weekes-Bernard

Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard is London’s Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice.

Debbie works to promote social justice and equality for all groups, leading the Mayor’s work to support Londoners with the rising cost of living, working closely with all sectors to provide support to those arriving from outside the UK seeking safety and sanctuary in the city and championing London’s diverse voluntary, community and faith sector.  She chairs the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory group, as well as London’s Strategic Migration Panel, is co-chair of the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime’s Disproportionality Board and is a member of the London Policing Board. Debbie chairs a variety of expert groups to ensure the Mayor’s work is informed by lived experience and subject expertise.  These groups include the Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations quarterly roundtable, the Race Equality roundtable and Interfaith fora among others.  She is also Chair of Praxis, a charity supporting migrants and refugees and is a Distinguished Friend of the Migration Museum.  She formerly led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s work on poverty and ethnicity, was Head of Research at the Runnymede Trust leading work on  inclusive curriculum development, education attainment gaps and school exclusion, community cohesion, race and criminal justice and youth transitions.

Debbie has a PhD in Psychology and Sociology,  was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2023 and is an editorial board member of the British Journal of Sociology of Education.

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About Thursday Lates

Join us on the first Thursday of every month as Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery stays open until 8pm, offering an after-hours experience filled with art, history, and culture. Explore contemporary exhibitions and the historic manor at your leisure, take part in engaging workshops and activities, or simply relax with refreshments from our on-site café/bar.

Enquiries

Please contact pitzhanger@pitzhanger.org.uk for more information.

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