We asked a Syrian student living in Lisbon what she missed most about home. She replied, "Bread! Syrian bread!". This was the starting point for Mezze, an Arabic food restaurant where Middle Eastern refugees are given training and jobs. We use the skills that many women and young people bring along and give them the tools for their work - and their identity - to be valued. We are thus generating sustainable employability solutions and contributing to true inclusion. The first Mezze opened in Lisbon, in September 2017. It has been highlighted as a successful example of refugee integration, namely by Prime Minister António Costa, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Mezze was elected in October 2018 Figure of the Year in Gastronomy, by the National Congress of Cooks, due to the "strong social contribution made to Portuguese gastronomy". Pão a Pão also won the social entrepreneurship award from the PSA - Peugeot Citroen Foundation (France) and the Julia Taft Grant (awarded by the US State Department) for projects aimed at refugees.
What we bring to the table are not only tasty dishes prepared by hands full of stories.
We also bring inclusion, solidarity, and tolerance.
Discover more here
With Mão-Cheia (Handful) Pão a Pão promotes an active and healthy aging both for Portuguese and migrants. A voice – and a restaurant kitchen – is given to older people, who still have a lot to give back to society. They can share their knowledge, pass it to younger generations and keep a link with the community.
Each day, a + 60 years old non-professional cook is invited to prepare the meal, choosing a traditional recipe from his or her home country: Portugal, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Morocco... The project started in February 2020, but was discontinued months later following Covid-19.
With Mão-Cheia (Handful) Pão a Pão promotes an active and healthy aging both for Portuguese and migrants. A voice – and a restaurant kitchen – is given to older people, who still have a lot to give back to society. They can share their knowledge, pass it to younger generations and keep a link with the community.
Each day, a + 60 years old non-professional cook is invited to prepare the meal, choosing a traditional recipe from his or her home country: Portugal, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Morocco... The project started in February 2020, but was discontinued months later following Covid-19.
With Mão-Cheia (Handful) Pão a Pão promotes an active and healthy aging both for Portuguese and migrants. A voice – and a restaurant kitchen – is given to older people, who still have a lot to give back to society. They can share their knowledge, pass it to younger generations and keep a link with the community.
Each day, a + 60 years old non-professional cook is invited to prepare the meal, choosing a traditional recipe from his or her home country: Portugal, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Morocco... The project started in February 2020, but was discontinued months later following Covid-19.
workshops
Learning how to make bread, is not only learning how to make bread. It is to connect more intimately with a very important element of Arab culture. In the cooking classes promoted by Pão a Pão we have "teachers" who teach us various Mezze tricks, but also tell us about their experience, their journey to Lisbon, what they expect from the future. And they also ask questions. It's the best way to get to know each other, right?
debates
What are the shapes of Islamic feminism? What is integration? How does a Syrian family adapt after coming to Lisbon? These are some of the questions that we launch to talk about things that some people may think that separates us. Pão a Pão organizes debates to deconstruct prejudice, break down walls, and build new bridges. In these conversations, the public is an active participant, because we don't want any questions left unanswered.
