Food and heritage: the politics of food
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
- Venue
- SOAS Gallery Building
- Room
- SOAS Gallery Lecture Theatre
- Event type
- Lecture & Event highlights
About this event
Dr Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, will deliver the Food Studies Centre's Annual Distinguished Lecture of 2026.
The food of our ancestors and our heritage is part of our DNA. It is so intertwined in who we are that we often take our family culinary traditions for granted. As an immigrant, a mother, and a storyteller – and as a restaurateur of an all-female immigrant kitchen – Asma Khan will highlight the politics of food. Who has a seat on the table, who is making hot chapatis in the kitchen? The gender inequality: women eat last, and girls eat least.
This event will be followed by a wine reception.
Registration
The event is free but registration is essential.
Asma Khan
About the speaker
Asma Khan
Asma Khan, an Indian-born British restaurateur, is a trailblazer in London’s culinary scene and an outspoken activist. Her Michelin Guide restaurant, Darjeeling Express, is famed for its pioneering all-female kitchen and attracts Hollywood A-listers while remaining a safe space for women. Serving authentic homestyle food, it has reached the top tier of the dining world while reflecting Khan’s commitment to grassroots social and environmental causes. In 2024, TIME named her one of the world’s 100 most influential people. A chef advocate for the UN World Food Programme, she holds honorary honours from SOAS, Queen’s College Oxford and King’s College London.
Image credit: Zoshua Colah, Unsplash
