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Nadia Khan is standing at a commercial stove stirring a spicy rice dish known as biryani – popular in her homeland of Pakistan and made using a recipe handed down the generations.

“My grandmother taught me to make biryani. In Pakistan children as well as older people love biryani,” says Khan, 32.

“Sometimes if I have a problem with the recipe, I can call [my grandmother] because she is still alive. So, it is very good for me.”

Khan is among 16 entrepreneurs working at a social enterprise kitchen called FoodLab Sydney. Backed by crowdfunding, the spacious modern facility in South Strathfield is home to a diverse range of cooks.

Nadia Khan preparing rice in the FoodLab kitchen. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon

As Eid approaches, Khan is busy preparing traditional dishes through her startup Aliana Catering and Cuisine.

“How proud am I ? I am so proud, more and more proud because I can fly, the sky is [the limit] here. So that’s why I’m very proud for myself.”

Khan says running her own business in Australia is a world away from her life growing up in Pakistan’s coastal city of Karachi.

Despite graduating in commerce, she says social and family pressure discouraged her from pursuing a career in her chosen field, a situation facing many women there.

A woman in a grey shirt sitting in front of kitchen equipment.

Nadia Khan in the FoodLab kitchen. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon

“The vast majority do not work outside the home, or even complete an education, because families do not allow it. It makes me angry because I wanted to do a job, like this one, but I was not allowed.”

It’s one life-changing reason Khan came to Australia as a refugee in 2016. Since joining FoodLab she says her career dreams have taken off.

“It is very good, it gives me an opportunity to use an oven, stove and benches and spoons, as well as crockery, utensils and everything. So I’m very happy.”

Eid al-Fitr is marked this year from the evening of April 9. It one of the Islamic calendar’s most important and celebrated holidays, ending the holy month of .

It is a time for Muslims worldwide to celebrate their faith, and express gratitude.

A woman in a checked shirt holds maamool in a commercial kitchen.

Racha Abou Alchamat with Syrian maamool. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

Also busy preparing for Eid celebrations is Racha Abou Alchamat. She says the end of fasting is typically a busy time for her business, Racha’s Syrian Kitchen.

“So usually Muslim families get together at the end of Ramadan. And they prefer to relax, they don’t like to work a lot, so this is the time for me to do my business,” she says.

Alchamat is proud to share her Syrian culture, via date-filled pastries called Maamool for Eid celebrations.

“Food is a byproduct of love. It is a love language that we can give to others. And food helps us to share our stories, to share our cultures,” says Jamie Loveday, FoodLab’s managing director.

A man in a grey shirt sits on a stool smiling at camera.

Jamie Loveday is managing director at FoodLab. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

Loveday says the shared kitchen offers budding entrepreneurs commercial facilities at a lower rent.

“This helps people from a diverse range of backgrounds to grow their catering businesses, market stores or food products,” he says

“We also have a training program, so we help entrepreneurs with advice, technical assistance, and expertise in all forms of business, from accounting to sales, and also menu design and costing.”

Those skills are crucial, with many business owners struggling to survive the current cost of living crisis. But Loveday says migrants and refugees face other barriers, too.

“It is really difficult getting permits, as well as reading contracts and even translating contracts. So, all of these things amount to a really difficult industry to break into for people who are just starting out in the food industry.

“At FoodLab, we try to lower those barriers to entry.”

The project grew from an academic report that identified a lack of support for food entrepreneurs, especially those from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

“FoodLab actually started in 2020 at Sydney University.

An empty commercial kitchen with appliances and utensils.

The FoodLab commercial kitchen. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

“Initially, we ran training and workshops for people from really diverse backgrounds and teaching them those core business skills,” Loveday says.

“Eventually we started to evolve into a larger mentoring program with guest speakers from all over the food industry.

That evolved again into this shared kitchen, which opened in November last year.

“Now we are a fully fledged culinary incubator.”

Among those to benefit is Gayithri Sridhar who migrated from Fiji and whose business called Gaia Tree gives back to disadvantaged women.

A woman in a blue shirt stirs a bowl of food in a kitchen.

Gayithri Sridhar preparing spiced nuts at FoodLab. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

“I am making candied nuts today and the nuts are inspired by flavours of Fiji,” Sridhar. says. “The species I use are grown by marginalised women who learn how to grow cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger.

“They then onsell those spices to earn an income and support their families.”

Sridhar says lower monthly rent for FoodLab’s kitchen and shared storage space is helping her to grow the online business.

Spicy nuts seen through the glass, baking in an oven.

Spicy nuts baking in the oven at FoodLab. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

“This Food Lab Kitchen has been a godsend. Previously, I had a factory set up and it costs a lot of money.

“As a small business without the cashflow that a bigger business would have, I could not afford paying the rent every month.”

The number of participants is growing steadily. However, Loveday hopes to attract many more.

“We would love to grow beyond 16 entrepreneurs,” he says. “So, if there are people in Sydney who would love to start a food business and they are from diverse backgrounds and cultures and notice a gap in the market of their cuisines, this is the place for them.”

A woman in a grey shirt and a man in a blue shirt stand holding a small boy in a kitchen.

Nadia Khan with her husband and young son. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

For Nadia Khan, the support of her husband, Syed Muhammed Ali, is key.

“My husband is a very nice man, he is very loving man. I usually make food for him and he says ‘you’re very good, you should start your own business’. So, with his backing I am becoming stronger.

“My goal is to expand my business into many branches supplying big restaurants, big outlets everywhere in Australia, or even worldwide.

“This is my goal – so everyone will say ‘Nadia is a good chef’.”

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