The Migration Menu

Luke Heslop and James Staples

Journey from South Asia to West London through food as we explore migration, globalisation, entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage.   In the series, Prof James Staples and Dr Luke Heslop, anthropologists from Brunel University London, talk to restaurateurs and others about what food from their homeland means to them and why. They explore the rich array of culinary traditions that have made their way from South Asia and been made anew in West London, using food as an entry point to wider discussions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Sathnam Sanghera and The Migration Menu

    10.12.2025

    Sathnam Sanghera and The Migration Menu

    In this special episode, James and Luke interview acclaimed author and Times journalist Sathnam Sanghera in front of a live audience at the Guru Nanak Sikh Academy in Hayes  **Starters** (01.14-02.49)  A quick introduction to Sathnam Sanghera and his work ahead of our live-recording.  **Mains** (02:50-30.58)  James and Luke discover what Sathnam ate growing up in Wolverhampton in the early 1980s, the intriguing ways in which British influences affected Punjabi food in the diaspora, and why his mother purposely didn’t teach him how to cook. We also discuss food and identity, and how it is used to express both love and anger; how Empire has left its indelible mark on how we eat the world over today; and why Sathnam doesn’t like the term “cultural appropriation.” Our conversation also explores Sathnam’s quest to find the perfect curry, why he once named Pizza Express as his favourite restaurant, and he favours Gymkhana and Jikoni over Dishoom.  **Dessert** (30.59-36.00)  Back in the studio, James and Luke reflect on their conversation with Sathnam and the discussion that followed it with the audience. They also gave a shoutout to Dr John Perkins of the Guru Nanak Sikh Academy – without whose help they couldn’t have held the event there – and the school’s catering team for laying on dal and rice, samosa and chai  Works Cited:  Collingham, Lizzie. 2017. The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World. New York: Basic Books.  Jegathesan, Mythri. 2019. Tea and Solidarity: Tamil Women and Work in Post-War Sri Lanka. Seattle: University of Washington Press.  Mintz, Sidney W. 1986. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. Manchester: University of Manchester Press.  Sanghera, Sathnam. 2008. The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton. Penguin Books.  Sanghera, Sathnam. 2016. Marriage Material. Europa Editions, 2016.  Sanghera, Sathnam. 2021. Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain. Viking.  Sanghera, Sathnam. 2023. Stolen History: the Truth About the British Empire and How It Shaped Us. Penguin Books.  Sanghera, Sathnam. 2024. Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe. Penguin Books.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 мин.
  2. Live From Moorgate: Entrepreneurs, COVID, and Food Fusion

    07.11.2025

    Live From Moorgate: Entrepreneurs, COVID, and Food Fusion

    This week James and Luke were in Moorgate as panelists for 'The Gaze', organised by Middlesex University in collaboration with Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre and the HOMELandS Research Centre at the University of Westminster. They were there to discuss the often-hidden lives of immigrant food entrepreneurs in London. Through oral histories, memories and everyday business, the event explores how entrepreneurship becomes more than a means of survival. It is a way to build belonging, community, and city’s cultural and economic fabrics. The event was chaired by Dr. Rui Su, Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Middlesex Universiy. Panelists: Abdul Komor, Street Trading Service Manager, London Borough of Waltham Forest. Baron Deschauer, Market Manager, Tooting Market. So Mang Ham, Founder of the SoJu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 мин.
  3. A Sweet Aftertaste with James and Luke

    04.11.2025

    A Sweet Aftertaste with James and Luke

    In this Episode James and Luke recap the series and answer some of the question and comments they have receieved throughout. They also reintroduce Sohini Banerjee and play a section of the Q&A from their sell out show at Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 мин.
  4. Amer-Indians

    28.10.2025

    Amer-Indians

    TheAmer-Indians  In this week’s episode, Luke travels to the outer reaches of London’s underground train network to meet James in Little Chalfont, to explore the places that increasing numbers of South Asian diasporas go when they move on from West London, and how they help transform those places and their cuisines.  **Starters** (01.29-12-12)  Ahead of their lunch with Vimal Dalal – a production editor on The Migration Menu and a one-time Southallian – James and Luke outline the history of post-World War II settlement in the suburbs and semi-rural towns that surround London. They discuss the appeal of such places – including the lure of selective school education – to those who first travelled from South Asia to London, settling in places like Southall, and the impact of these more recent movements on the suburban culinatry landscape.  **Mains** (12:12-25:52)  James and Luke meet Vimal outside The Kokum (www.thekokum.co.uk) for a pan-Indian inspired lunch, during which they hear the migration story of Vimal’s family, from Gujarat and Tanzania, to Southall in the 1980s and, via Hayes, to Little Chalfont, a village near Amersham, in Buckinghamshire.   **Dessert** (25:52-33:05)  After lunch chat reflects on how the suburban curry house has been transformed by more recent waves of migration out from the inner cities, which have also expanded the range of South Asian groceries and vegetables available in local shops. New arrivals also find themselves supported by groups like the Amer-Indians, through which social events and business networks are co-ordinated. James and Luke also reflect on how a nostalgic vision of pre-war Britain came to be shared by some members of the South Asian diasporas who came to settle here.  **The Menu**  Masala Papad  Palak Patta Chaat  Tandoori Soya Chaap  Mumbai Prawns Koliwada  Malai Kofta  Vegetable Handi  Kombdi Rassa  Jackfruit Dum Biryani  Chilli Garlic Coriander Naan  Works Cited:  Baumann, Gerd. 1996. Contesting Culture: Discourse of Identity in Multi-Ethnic London. Cambridge University Press.  Caplan, Lionel. 1999. “Gifting and receiving: Anglo-Indian Charity and its Beneficiaries in Madras”. In Tradition, Pluralism and Identity: In Honour of T. N. Madan, edited by V. Das, D. Gupta and P. Uberoi, 283­–305. New Delhi: Sage Publications.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 мин.
  5. Measure with the Heart

    21.10.2025

    Measure with the Heart

    In this week’s episode, James and Luke try out the food of The Maldives, an archipelago of coraline islands in the Indian Ocean. The Maldivian diaspora in the UK, compared to other South Asian groups, is tiny; consequently there are no Maldivian restaurants, but there is at least one Maldivian Supper Club (@maldiviansupperclub on Instagram), run by host Mie Ali Didi, who prepares the food eaten in this episode.     **Starters** ( 1:15 – 12:00)   James and Luke sketch out the historical background of Maldivian cuisine, including Sri Lankan influences since around the 1970s. Although the Maldives are often idealised as remote desert islands, they have played a role in Indian Ocean trading networks for more than 2,000 years, were colonised by the Portuguese, and became a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965, finally becoming a Republic in 1968.      **Mains** (12:00-22:10)   James and Luke join Mie Ali Didi and her friends for dinner at the Maldivian Supper Club, discussing with their guests what food from their homeland means to them and why.      **Dessert** (20:12-29:40)  After dinner chat includes a discussion of gender politics in the catering business (and why most supper clubs are run by women and restaurants by men); the history of Indian Ocean cuisine and the importance of family and food sharing to culinary traditions; and what it means to be part of one of the smallest South Asian diasporas in the UK.      If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu and Instagram @themigrationmenu      The Maldivian Supper Club Menu    Appetisers of smoked tuna, coconut and dates  Roshi and Mashuni  Pumpkin curry  Aubergine dry curry  Dal  Rice  Bananas, sugar, coconut, rice flakes and smoked fish/       Works Cited:   Heslop, L. and Lubna, H. (2024) 'Infrastructure, circulation, and ecology in the Maldives'. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History.  Heslop, L. and Jeffery, L. (2023) 'Roadwork: expertise at work building roads in the Maldives'. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 26 (2). pp. 284 - 301.  Heslop, L. and Jeffery, L. (2021) 'Encountering Chinese development in the Maldives: gifts, hospitality, and rumours', in Heslop, L. and Murton, G. (eds.) Highways and Hierarchies: ethnographies of mobility from the Himalaya to the Indian Ocean. Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press. pp. 175 - 196.  Maloney, Clarence. 1976. The Maldives: New Stresses in an Old Nation. Asian Survey, Vol. 16, No. 7 (Jul., 1976), pp. 654-671.      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 мин.
  6. A hunger to succeed

    14.10.2025

    A hunger to succeed

    This week, James and Luke visit the Broadway in Southall to share a meal with Faisal Ali, co-owner of Giftos Lahore Karahi. As they eat, Faisal reflects on how food brings people together, especially within Southall’s Pakistani community.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 3:14)  (Starter)  Luke introduces the Giftos Lahore Karahi franchise and James and Luke discuss whether there is a significant difference between food that claims to be ‘Pakistani” and food that claims to be ‘Indian’  **Interview** (3:14 – 17:29)  (Main Course)   Faisal Ali reflects on how food sharing has particular significance for Muslim communities, whilst sharing his father Ashad Mohammed’s migration story – including developing a successful business in 1960s Southall – and its ties to their family’s journey from South Asia to West London.  **Post-Interview** (17:30–23:26)  (Dessert)  Luke and James reflect on Southall’s history of resistance and how it has shaped the success of Southall residents.   **Closing remarks and acknowledgments** (23:29 - 24:10)   If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu and Instagram @themigrationmenu     Menu – Food eaten   Dai Puri Samosa Chaat Peshwari Naan Lamb shish kebab Chicken tikka Paneer tikka Lamb chops Tadka dal Mango lassi    Literature mentioned:   Education, Aspiration and Social Mobility - Uncertain Futures for Rural Youth in India by Peggy Froerer (coming out soon!)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 мин.
  7. Grandmother's Heavenly Rice

    07.10.2025

    Grandmother's Heavenly Rice

    Headed to Northwest London, James and Luke travel to the Persian restaurant Behesht, which means Heaven in Farsi, to have their problems solved and their futures foretold.   **introduction**-(00:00-6:55)  (Starter)  James and Luke discuss the connection between the Iran and the idea of South Asia.  **Interview**- (6:55-11:00)  (Main)    James and Luke introduce Houri Nateghnouri, who speaks on what unites the Persian community, suggesting factors such as culture and food that brings together members of the South Asian community.   **Post Interview discussion**- (11:00-25:10)  (Dessert)  James and Luke discuss Iranian migration to the Uk and the how the country established itself during the Iranian revolution in the 1970s.    James details the migration patterns of the Iranian diaspora, they dine with Houri and Nouri who is the manager of Behesht.  Nouri discusses the effects of migration on food and the differentiation of restaurant cooking and home cooking.  Houri guides James and Luke on how to enjoy the feast  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (25:10-30:20)  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Vimal Dalal, Angele Ijeh, Stefeni Regalado, and Jafnah Uddin. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu and Instagram @themigrationmenu    Literature mentioned:    Doing south Asia studies by Sambhavi Ganesh  Food mentioned:  Jug of Doogh-Salty yogurt drink with mint sometimes flavored in Iran with orange blossom Paneer sabzi-Salad platter with fresh herbs, walnuts, radishes and white cheese Ghormeh Sabzi-Cooked Meat and veg versions formed of parsley, coriander, fenugreek leaves, and kidney beans Flat bread Saffron rice Tah Digh-Buttery crispy rice from the bottom of the pan Aubergene dish Kebabs-Lamb and Chicken  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 мин.
  8. Brick Lane is the place for me

    30.09.2025

    Brick Lane is the place for me

    James and Luke return to series 2 of The Migration Menu exploring how migration has transformed food and the places we call home. Headed to East London, Brick Lane in the borough of Tower Hamlets, James and Luke travel to have lunch at Graam Bangla.  (Starter)  **introduction**-(00:00-3:20)  Luke explains the gap in the Bengali food market in West London which is why the two choose to journey outside to East London, to fill the gap; questioning the migration pattern where those from Bangladesh go to the east and those from India and other parts of South Asia head toward West London.  (Main)  **Interview**- (3:20-12:05)  James and Luke interview Ashraf Hoque, an Anthropologist and Associate Professor at UCL, who details the history of Brick Lane, Bengali culture, and the arrival of Jewish and South Asian diasporas to the area as they wait for Shanur; Manager of Graam Bangla   (Dessert)  **Post Interview discussion**- (12:05-21:10)  Shanur returns from the mosque and begins preparing food with his staff. James and Luke detail his history which led to his father founding Graam Bangla. They discuss the trials and tribulations faced by those of the South Asian community during the late 1900s. Ash explains how meals in Bengali culture are finished.  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (21:10-27:22)  James and Luke recap what they have learned about Bengali migration and culture especially in terms of Migration of Bengalis to East London instead of West London  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Vimal Dalal, Angele Ijeh, Stefeni Regalado, and Jafnah Uddin. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu and Instagram @themigrationmenu    Literature mentioned:    Hoque, A; (2019) Being Young, Male and Muslim in Luton. UCL Press: London, UK.    Adams, C. (1987). Across Seven Seas and Thirteen Rivers.    Frost, N. (2011) ‘Green Curry: Politics and Place-Making on Brick Lane’   Food mentioned:  Elish Bhuna Fish Kofta Fish Eggs Beef curry Bortas Yam root with Jack Fruit Nuts and Dried Fish  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 мин.
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Journey from South Asia to West London through food as we explore migration, globalisation, entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage.   In the series, Prof James Staples and Dr Luke Heslop, anthropologists from Brunel University London, talk to restaurateurs and others about what food from their homeland means to them and why. They explore the rich array of culinary traditions that have made their way from South Asia and been made anew in West London, using food as an entry point to wider discussions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • Автор
    Luke Heslop and James Staples
  • Годы выхода
    2024 - 2025
  • Выпуски
    23
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
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    © The Migration Menu
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    The Migration Menu