Hind is from Syria and came here six years ago. She studied philosophy in Syria and wanted to find a new home. It was hard for her to feel like she belonged in a different country. She thought about how to create a place that felt like home. Hind decided to use cooking to show her culture. She started making her mom’s recipes and really liked cooking. She added her own ideas and then started her own business called Utopia.

Back with us at the Bonnington Café for his regular Vegan Thursdays is former longtime resident cook Misiek, whose Polish-influenced dishes are bursting with seasonal flavours!

The excellent Arfa Shah returns to the Café, with her dazzling synergy of Asian and European vegan and vegetarian dishes. “I have a passion for cooking and have been cooking for over 20 years,” she tells us. “I am an innovative chef with a creative flair in a five star hotel (Michelin star). And I’ve adapted my style to accommodate classic European with Asian cuisine.”

Newish to the Bonnington Café are Twodogs’ Jen and Vic, who are bringing US vegetarian comfort food with a British accent.

It’s all the food you’ve heard about from America and the local, regional things you might not have. Cooked from scratch using seasonal British ingredients. Incorporating elements of British cuisine. Their food is fun, tasty and gives respect to both nations’ history and food cultures.

They are doing Tacos Tuesday now and it’s a bargain- everything £4!!

Vida is our new Persian cook and describes her cooking as a symphony of flavours. It lies a delicate balance of sweet and sour, earthy and fragrant, rich yet subtle. Herbs are used abundantly, not just as garnishes but as foundational elements. Saffron, dried limes, turmeric, rosewater, pomegranate molasses, and cinnamon infuse dishes with complex aromas and deep hues.
Persian cuisine is much more than a collection of recipes — it is a living tradition, a story told in spices, stews, and shared tables. Whether you’re biting into crispy tahdig, savouring the tartness of a pomegranate-laced stew, or enjoying the aroma of freshly brewed cardamom tea, you’re tasting centuries of culture and care.

Hind is from Syria and came here six years ago. She studied philosophy in Syria and wanted to find a new home. It was hard for her to feel like she belonged in a different country. She thought about how to create a place that felt like home. Hind decided to use cooking to show her culture. She started making her mom’s recipes and really liked cooking. She added her own ideas and then started her own business called Utopia.

Back with us at the Bonnington Café for his regular Vegan Thursdays is former longtime resident cook Misiek, whose Polish-influenced dishes are bursting with seasonal flavours!

The excellent Arfa Shah returns to the Café, with her dazzling synergy of Asian and European vegan and vegetarian dishes. “I have a passion for cooking and have been cooking for over 20 years,” she tells us. “I am an innovative chef with a creative flair in a five star hotel (Michelin star). And I’ve adapted my style to accommodate classic European with Asian cuisine.”