The power of food celebrated as part of our London Borough of Culture year 

Highlights include food tours, workshops and activities in schools, and TV chef and local resident Ainsley Harriot will launch a festival celebrating African Caribbean cuisine.

Deputy Council Leader Kemi Akinola said: “Wandsworth is home to many fabulous restaurants and we want to make it easy to explore what’s on offer, encourage people to try something they’ve never tried before and understand each other better by connecting through our shared love of a great meal.” 

In August, as part of its South Asian Heritage Month celebrations, Wandsworth Council has partnered with local historian Geoff Simmons for Taste of Planet Tooting. This unique walking tour will visit local food business and community spaces run by people from across South Asia. It’s a chance to try dishes, meet chefs, producers and shop owners and discover the personal and culinary narratives that bind generations and cultures together. 

And in October TV chef and local resident Ainsley Harriott will launch African Caribbean Food Month as part of the council’s Black History 365 programme. 

Throughout the month food-focused events designed to bring people together through shared experience will be held around the borough, including cooking workshops, author talks, panel discussions and live cooking demonstrations. There will also be activities in schools and library storytelling sessions for children and young people.

The month will kick off with a launch event in which local chefs and food entrepreneurs in conversation with Ainsley Harriot will explore the changing face of African Caribbean cuisine.

He said: “Food has always been more than just sustenance for me - it's a way to connect with family and friends, community and my roots. For me, Caribbean cooking is very much about the joy of sharing and bringing people together around the table - as is African cuisine. When I was growing up our house was always a vibrant hub of guests, coming to sample my mother's cooking. 

“Now, when I cook dishes like her Red Bean Stew & Dumplings it evokes stories of my family's culture, history, and tradition. That's why I'm proud, as a local resident, to launch Wandsworth African Caribbean Food Month as part of the borough's Black History Month and London of Borough Celebrations, and I invite everyone to discover, enjoy and celebrate these vibrant traditions.” 

Businesses and community organisations keen to take part in African Caribbean Food Month are invited to find out more and sign up. Email weh@wandsworth.gov.uk or visit our Wandsworth African Caribbean Food Month page.

Future food events are being planned, with details to come soon. Keep an eye on the Welcome to Wandsworth website for more information or follow us on X or Instagram.