Events with Refugee and Asylum Seeker Chefs

Since April 2021, we have organised 49 refugee powered events, which include markets, art exhibitions, a fashion show and sold-out dining events with refugee chefs and asylum seeker chefs, in Sydney, Wollongong & Melbourne. Our chefs take home 50% of ticket sales. Get your tickets or you can buy a Pay It Forward ticket for a refugee.

ROHINGYAN NIGHT – PANEL, Poetry & BufFET Dinner

When: Sunday 10th December, 6pm
Where: Arts & Cultural Exchange, 8 Victoria Rd, Parramatta (NSW)
How Much: $35 including dinner

Rohingyans are an ethnic group from Burma. It’s been 6 years since the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar. Some 10,000 Rohingya men, women, children & newborns were killed. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyans remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh & India.

There are around 3000 Rohingya people living in Australia, but their voices are not heard. Many remain on temporary protection visas. Please join us on the evening of Sunday 10th December, to learn about their culture, through food, a panel, poetry reading. There’ll be a henna tattoo artist on the night too.

There will be a panel, a poetry reading, some henna tattoos and a buffet dinner, of course. The buffet menu* will be: White Rice, Masala Rice, Lamb Curry, ,Kofta Chicken Kurma, Salad, Vegetables

This event was co-sponsored by City of Parramatta & Navitas Skilled Futures.

book here

MELBOURNE – MAKErs MARKET

When: Saturday 9th December
Where: Footscray Arts Creative Centre, Footscray, VICTORIA
What: Welcome Merchant has teamed up with Footscray Community Arts in bringing you the December Makers Market – Festive Edition! Please go & support these refugee & migrant-powered stalls there: Akira Grateful, Bandesh Wine & Spirits, The Social Studio, Treekid Clothing, Rue Ceramics, Craft Z Art & La Ria. Happy shopping!

RSVP HERE

previous events:

Fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians – 29/10/23

The community gathered in Sydney for a sit-down lunch at Where’s Nick Bar to help raise much-needed funds for the Medical Aid for Palestinians. Due to popular demand, we held 2 lunch sittings where guests were treated to delicious and fresh traditional feasts while participating in raffle sales.

Palestinian Pop-up at Molly Rose Brewing – 10/10/23

Welcome Merchant hosted a timely Palestinian dining event in Melbourne at Molly Rose Brewing, in collaboration with Chef Aheda Amro. Guests were treated to a vibrant burst of flavours and traditions – including an amazing dance performance! – celebrating the Palestinian unity, resilience and artistry of their rich cultural heritage.

CHINDIAN NIGHT: A Feast for Good – 9/10/23

Two talented chefs Junda of Ho Jiak Town Hall and Malar of Sangee’s Kitchen united for Welcome Merchant’s biggest dining collaboration to date! A delicious melting pot of Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian feast in Sydney that raised the much-needed funds for the Asylum Seekers Centre.

Fashion for Good – 30/9/23

Together with Western Sydney Fashion Festival (WSFF), we co-hosted our very first fashion show. We couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support of WSFF founder Thuy Nguyen and her army of volunteers, the deeply talented designers, the crew, delicious catering by Sangee’s Kitchen, and our generous sponsors.

Speed Friending Sydney – 1/9/23

New connections and great vibes were the order of the night at Welcome Merchant’s first-ever speed-friending event in Sydney. New friends bonded over delicious morsels by Sangee’s Kitchen at the amazing Canva Space in Surry Hills.

Syrian Brunch – 27/8/23

Guests gathered at Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre to experience some awesome Syrian flavours in a beautiful brunch lovingly prepared by Racha’s Syrian Kitchen. The event supported our migrant and refugee community as they share their heartfelt stories and culture.

Celebrate Refugee Week Dinner – 22/6/23

This year’s annual Refugee Week dining celebrations – sponsored by Navitas Skilled Futures and City of Parramatta – showcased a 3-course Malaysian dinner by Sangee’s Kitchen, along with Tamil dance performance and an exciting raffle draw! Photos courtesy of Sharp Focus Photography.

Refugees and Friends Market – 17/6/23

The Refugees and Friends Market at Schoolhouse Studios provided a much-needed fun for Melburnians amidst the cold and windy weather. People listened to live music while browsing shops and grazed on delicious traditional fares. Photography by Broke Stills.

Sri Lankan Pop-up at Baba’s Place – 31/5/23

A beautiful evening in collaboration with Baba’s Place. Chef Krish slung out delicious food, while guests enjoyed a Tamil Kuthu dance performance from Indian Dance School. Photos courtesy of Danish Photography.

Social Enterprise Festival – 27/5/23

Welcome Merchant was invited to the annual Social Enterprise Festival with our much-loved partners including Auntie’s Ginger Tonic, Sangee’s Kitchen and Racha’s Kitchen.

Finding Beauty Exhibition – 23/3/23

We hosted our first art exhibition in Melbourne, featuring the amazing work of Peter Lubega, Hala Sekak and Nidhal Altaie. Photos by our very own Arianna Lim.

Celebrate Uyghur Culture – 21/3/23

Guests heard from an amazing all-women panel of writers, community organisers and teachers, and enjoyed a wonderful dance performance by Dilnigar Alim. Photos by Shems Photography.

Iranian Pop-up Dinner – 14/3/23

The first Melbourne pop-up dinner for 2023 proved to be a hit thanks to stories and delicious food by Chef Mahshid Babzartabi, and moving violin performance by Sogol Moradi. Photos by Broke Stills.

Trivia fundraiser – 10/3/23

⁠We marked International Women’s Day by hosting a wildly-fun Sydney trivia to help raise funds for Afghan women.

Galentine’s Lunch – 11/2/23

It was a day full of love, light and beautiful food courtesy of Racha’s Syrian Kitchen at our annual Galentine’s Lunch.

End of Year Community Forum – 13/12/22

Our team and the merchants gathered at Canva Space for our first-ever Community Forum. A warm and insightful evening to share ideas and help plan for the year ahead.