New cafe in Sheffield celebrates Eid by offering free food for all

The family cafe has just opened on Abbeydale Road, and is offering customers the chance to delve into a mix of British and Somali food for free this weekend as Ramadan ends and Eid celebrations begin.

Owner Ahmed Kabadeh is celebrating his dual heritage from a British and Somali background, and wants to bring that mix of cultures to the area in which he grew up.

Offering a selection of family recipes, visitors can choose from both Breakfast and Lunch options, with both Halal and Vegetarian options available too.

Traditional British dishes such as Lasagne, or a Full English with a unique Somali twist are also on the menu.

Asma Kabadeh, Ahmed's sister says the cafe is very much a family affair: "On the breakfast we've got mum's recipe beans which is a mix of British and Somali style. It's classics with a Somali twist.

"Cooking is a big thing in our family, growing up I'd love fish and chips and mums Somali food too."

The family moved to Sheffield in 1995, and have seen the area change and grow, and now want to give back to the community which they love.

"We wanted to bring in a community cafe that serves the ethic community, and that has breakfast options of the Muslim community," Asma said.

"The cafe's around here cater for different people, so it's nice to bring something new and introduce the food to people that haven't tried it."

"We have been very specific about what we chose for the menu. We have a dish of the day, which is a Somali classic and one of the staples when we were growing up."

She explained that during Eid, many Muslims invite their family into their homes for celebrations, which includes and array of food, so they wanted to mark the occasion with the grand opening.

They will also be giving leftover food to the homeless, as Asma said: "Zakat, is one of the five pillars of Islam which means charity. We wanted to commit to that through our celebrations by giving food to the homeless too - to serves the less fortunate and celebrate."

Visitors are encouraged to try the array of food on offer, as Asma said: "It's packed full of flavour. It's comforting, a lot of people will know of similar things. A lot of Somali influences are from South Asian and African food. It's a blend with it's own twist.

"A traditional dish is rice with lamb and a banana, people can get to know how nice it is. Come in and try! It's not as strange as it sounds, it's like African Caribbean food which normally uses plantain."

Customers can also listen to Somali music as they're immersed in the culture at the new Somali British Kitchen.

This weekend, customers can try the Halal or vegetarian breakfast, the dish of the day, or Sabayad which is a Somali flatbread with Somali-style curry all for free before the full menu is open next week, offering dishes at half price from June 19.

For more information contact Cafe 280 on 0114 2492918.