A taste of Syria comes to Leyland as bistro opens

Volunteers Marwa, Safaa and Alaa Shoufan with Mouhamad Kbisi with their supporters

The venture offers a delicious taste of the Syrian culture as part of a Syrian refugee resettlement programme in the town.

The programme, led in partnership with South Ribble Council and Brothers of Charity, aims to resettle Syrian families in South Ribble providing them with access to vital services and support to make their adjustment to life in the UK as seamless as possible.

The Syrian Bistro - prepared and provided by Syrian families - will be based at the Roccoco Café in Leyland one Saturday a month.

Husband and wife Safaa Shoufan and Mouhamad Kbisi in the kitchen

Councillor Aniela Bylinski Gelder, cabinet member for community engagement, social justice and wealth building at South Ribble Council, said: “This is a fantastic initiative.

“South Ribble is such a welcoming community and I am delighted that there is an opportunity for the Syrian and UK communities to come together in this way.”

Marwa Shoufan, a Syrian refugee who has found employment at the café, said she hoped it would allow people to come together.

She added: “This is a great new idea which will help refugees to integrate. Especially through food, people come together. I’m looking forward to making new friends and getting to know the people of Leyland.”