Before she married into the Royal Family, the Duchess of Sussex was hard at work with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen which was left devastated by the Grenfell fire.
After the fire, the women would gather at the Al Manaar Muslim cultural heritage centre to cook together twice a week for the community, but struggled to make finances stretch.
The Duchess suggested a cookbook and so the Together: Our Community Cookbook was born. Proceeds of the cookbook have gone to rebuilding the kitchen and now allows the women to open seven days a week.
Ledbury Construction designed the stunning new space and completed the renovations after seeing the “incredible efforts that were made in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy.”
Meghan was greeted by Zaheera Sufyaan, a kitchen coordinator and one of the contributors to the book. The two have met many times of Meghan’s frequent visits since the start of the year.
“It’s so nice to see you,” Meghan exclaimed as she arrived dressed in a Club Monaco coat and Givenchy ankle boots.
Sufyaan later told BAZAAR.com that “We have bonded really well- she’s part of the gang.
Adding: “She was happy to be back. She’s been visiting regularly and privately. It’s kept everyone motivated and inspired people to now do their own projects.”
The cookbook surpassed expectations selling 39,000 copies, making £210,000 in the UK alone. Total international sales are around 71,000 copies since being released in September. Supported by The Royal Foundation and published by Penguin Random House, the book reached Number One on Amazon and appeared on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller lists.
A Palace aide told BAZAAR.com that “Meghan is delighted. The book has been a huge success, and its immediate impact is clear to see.”
Meghan helped out in the kitchen, where she learnt about the 250 meals a day they provide to homeless shelters, old people’s homes and women’s refuges.
@KensingtonRoyal/Twitter
A new outreach programme is also in the works, being funded by the cookbook sales.
The Duchess stayed 20 minutes over schedule as she appeared to enjoy herself thoroughly, many of the women explained that Meghan is “one of us.”
