Papi’s Pickles is a community-driven, women-led social enterprise. We serve Tamil food made by women from Sri Lanka and South India who have relocated to the UK due to regional conflicts. We pride ourselves on crafting our menus around authentic Tamil recipes, using lovingly sourced sustainable produce to create beautiful dishes for our diners.
In 2013 Abi, a founder of Papi’s Pickles, met many women who relocated to the UK during and after the conflict in Sri Lanka. The isolation and sense of loss experienced within these communities was extreme, and despite a desire to work, there was little opportunity to be found. Cooking, food and community remained a happy memory from home, and research showed a demand for this cuisine, so Papi’s Pickles was born!
We have provided London Living Wage employment for 23 trainee chefs to date, delivered thousands of hours of training and raised awareness of the acute challenges faced by migrant women seeking to enter the workforce. We have hosted pop ups at Pop Brixton and Brixton Village. During the pandemic, we have kept ourselves busy with hot food deliveries and pickups from The Beast of Brixton, delighting locals with our elaborate thali inspired sharing feasts.
