Called Cue Point Kitchen, the co-owners of the Afghan BBQ restaurant are looking to raise £30,000 through a Go Fund Me Initiative that they say will enable refugees to climb the ladder in the hospitality sector and accrue generational wealth, thus systemically changing hospitality narratives for racialised individuals.
If the funds are raised, Cue Point Kitchen will launch later this year.
“Our sole aim is to further diversify the industry and create generational wealth with our training, nurturing and overall attention to the individual,” says Saiq.
“Why would a food company do something like this? And I would say because food is a universal truth, that is passed from generation to generation and which defines a nation or a culture.
“And so much of culture and identity is being eroded now. We need to hold on to it, and preserve it, to keep nationalities alive and empowered, ultimately through financial and managerial success.
“Furthermore, with action, refugees will continue to be dehumanised and seen as third-class citizens. Instead of ostracising them, why don’t we assist our UK economy and also support people seeking refuge simultaneously?”
Saiq came to the UK in 90s fleeing the 1990s civil war in Afghanistan and worked in advertising and business management, restaurants and marketing before setting up Cue Point in 2017.
“I am a first-generation refugee whose entire life was ripped away and torn apart by war,” she says.
“I have taken control of that narrative now and believe we have found a real solution to helping refugees tangibly and practically as well as retaining a sense of pride and dignity. As a British Afghan company, our dual identities merge two great nations as a method to do so with many others.”
The Go Fund Me page can be found here.