ACH and Bristol Old Vic’s Project Bears Fruit

This year, ACH and Bristol Old Vic have been working together on a new project. The project aims to help people from a refugee or migrant background design, make, brand and sell their own food or drink product. On the course, participants received a food hygiene certificate, and learned about recipe design and production. Furthermore, they gained experience of branding and marketing their products.

Now, they are seeing the fruits of their efforts and have launched their new drink product called HOMEMADE.

HOMEMADE Iced Tea product is now sold at Bristol Old Vic, with all profits returning to the Bristol Refugee women who took part in the project.

More information about the drink product:

‘The drink is an iced tea syrup. You can add it to still or sparkling water with a slice of lemon, mint and a blackberry and its tastes delicious. It includes Bramble Leaf, Lemon balm and a hint of mint. The ingredients are inspired by our planting and foraging. A product made from Bristol, by Bristol women.’

 – Shalini Sivakrishnan, Business consultant, ACH

We asked some of the entrepreneurs behind HOMEMADE about the ingredients behind the drink, and how the project has made them feel connected to their city. Keep reading excerpts from short interviews we had with some of the participants who attended the course and successfully produced their own products.

Which one ingredient in the tea invokes a particular memory for you?

‘The mint, because in Afghanistan, culturally, we use lots of mint when we prepare salads for guests. And also we have some natural drinks in Afghanistan that we use mint in and also sometimes lemon. And we make the mix tea from that and it would be so brilliant.’ - Neelam

‘Lemon and mint. It's very amazing, It's very delicious. I like it.’ - Sajeda

‘I think the mint leaves, which it's remind me of my family, because I grow up with drinking tea with mint. When I taste mint I like automatically remember my country and my family specifically, my mum.’ - Maria

How has this project made you feel connected to Bristol?

‘It connected me a lot with all staff that meet at every event that we had, and every day that we studied, we enjoyed a lot. We connect with all the Bristol people.

So now I can recognise that the Bristol people are more friendly, they are so kind, they are helpful people that are just enjoying what they do. And they are accepting us like their family members. We appreciate them because, they make a family for us to enjoy in it, to have happiness, to bring happiness in the future and to have power for women.

The way that we. We came from a land, that it is not possible to have opportunities for women, especially for girls, but they bring us such opportunity to connect with Bristol, with Bristol women. There were lots of amazing people, amazing works that we did together. So I just hope one day the Afghan lady and the Bristol lady, they are just joining together and they make the world better for humanity.’ - Neelam

‘It's really good for us for our language. When we came here, we talk with each other and improve our language, and it's really good project. And we received the certificate today. It's very good. It's a very big achievement for us.’ - Sajeda

‘Because the session was in the Old Vic, which is a very heritage and historical place in Bristol. So coming every week in a place like this and doing this workshop, it made me feel like it's connected to Bristol.

And also, the idea of making and creating and like making a product from scratch, which is also, I think it was part of Bristol, so I feel, it's all connected.’  - Maria

If you want to taste this delicious tea and support these brave women entrepreneurs, it is now sold at Bristol Old Vic, and you can also join our next craft fair!

Find out more about how to join us on the 15th of October: Craft Fair Tickets

If you, or someone you know, are looking to start a business in Bristol or the West Midlands, get in touch with our Business Support Team:

Business.support@ach.org.uk