Syrian Supper Club comes to Bristol

Syrian Supper Club was started in London in July 2012 by friends George Butler, Louisa Barnett and Rose Lukas who had all spent time in Syria and felt profoundly saddened and shocked at the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country. To show their friends in Syria that they had not been forgotten, they started holding ad-hoc dinners in friends’ kitchens and donating all the proceeds from these feasts to charity.

After its immense popularity at the E5 Bakehouse in Hackney, the Syrian Supper Club has branched out to other regions, and chef Ruth Quinlan has been running the club in Bristol since March.

The Bristol Cookhouse on Gloucester Road is the newest host of an established Syrian supper club, running every third Wednesday of the month. The evenings introduce diners to lesser-known Middle Eastern delicacies, while raising funds for the Hands Up Foundation, who fund health and education projects in Syria.

The luxurious three-course meals consist of seasonally-inspired food cooked by Ruth, whose eclectic career has seen her cook for the likes of prime ministers, pop stars, and table after table of Syrian Supper Club diners in Hackney.

Syrian Supper Club has taken place in Bristol since March

Ruth decided to take the Syrian Supper Club to Bristol because of her love of “meeting people in an upbeat and energetic environment”, and so far says she has really enjoyed getting to work in a new city.

Whereas in London Ruth just created the menu and cooked it, in Bristol she is involved with the promotion and organisation of the whole event. She is assisted by a team of loyal volunteers including fellow chef Sam Waterhouse, who owns and runs the Bristol Cookhouse.

Ruth describes her Syrian home cooking as “really flavourful without being uptight”. Diners will be delighted by a beautiful selection of dishes, featuring sourdough flatbreads, smashed roast peppers with walnut and pomegranate molasses and chopped lamb with allspice.

A dish that Ruth finds particularly delicious is freekah: “Wheat picked when its green and then roasted to dry it, which gives a delicious deep and slightly smoky flavour.”

For dessert, Ruth tells us to expect the likes of “nutty, gently spiced cakes drenched in a lemony floral syrup” and sweet things flavoured with rose water or orange blossom.

Oregano and sumac, two  ingredients that Ruth Quinlan uses in her Syrian cooking

The Syrian Supper Club serves seasonal food, often adding foraged figs or fresh, raw herbs to their dishes. All their veg is from allotments and local, small organic farms.

Diners can buy wine on the night and those with specific dietary requirements can contact the club who will happily adapt their dishes to vegetarians, vegans, and those with allergies. A space at their table will cost you between £30 and £40, depending on how generous you are feeling.

According to Ruth, the atmosphere of Bristol’s Syrian Supper Club is “cheerful and informal”. Guests are invited to mill around eating mezze and enjoying a complimentary cocktail, whilst being given a bit of information about what they can do to help Syria’s most vulnerable people.

Syrian Supper Club has raised over £250,000 since starting six years ago, all of which has gone straight to the Hands Up Foundation in order to support healthcare projects, prosthetic limb clinics and medical training in northwest Syria.

“We think this is a simple and positive way that everyone can get involved with fundraising to help some of Syria’s most vulnerable,” says Ruth.

The next Syrian Supper will be held at The Bristol Cookhouse on Wednesday, September 19, and Ruth especially welcomes any Syrian Bristolians who would like to come as guests or helpers. Visit www.syriansupperclub.com/join-us/bristol for tickets or to get involved.