Sanctuary Kitchen brings immigrants’ cooking to New Haven markets
Since 2017, Sanctuary Kitchen has helped immigrants and refugees sell their cuisine to New Haveners.
Contributing Reporter
David Liu, Contributing Photographer
Before most of New Haven is awake, Sadaf Inshrah is already loading the Sanctuary Kitchen van, stacking trays of hummus, aushak, momo, haydari and yalanji.
When the first tents rise at the Wooster Square Farmers Market, Inshrah is ready not just to sell food, but to share the stories and culinary traditions of the Iraqi, Syrian, Mauritian and Nepali chefs behind each dish, she said.
Sanctuary Kitchen, founded in 2017, is an initiative of CitySeed, an organization which aims to provide fresh, local food to residents, according to its website. In addition to serving food at local markets, Sanctuary Kitchen offers catering services and culinary training programs designed to help refugees and immigrants make money by selling their traditional cuisines.
By the time Inshrah arrives at the kitchen on Saturday mornings, the week’s work is already visible. Rows of containers filled with handmade dishes are ready to be loaded into the van and brought to the market. Inshrah said she has volunteered with Sanctuary Kitchen for the past five years, after being introduced to the organization by her mother, Nazia Tariq, who used to work there as a chef.
“If you work inside the kitchen, you have to make your food inside the kitchen,” Inshrah said. “They’re gonna provide you with everything. You don’t have to bring anything. They’re gonna buy all the ingredients, every vegetable, every item — everything.”
As a volunteer, Inshrah serves food, helps manage and support other volunteers and keeps operations running smoothly — all while sharing the stories behind each dish.
Behind the scenes, the operation relies on people like Rawaa Ghazi, the program’s kitchen manager.
“I’m in charge of all the online catering and market sales, making sure everything runs smoothly for our programs and events,” Ghazi wrote in a text message to the News. “I always come to the kitchen to check on the chefs and also respond to all customers. I make sure we organize all the orders to be ready on time and check all the sales.”
Ghazi noted that managing busy days while ensuring every chef and volunteer feels supported can be a challenge.
“The community here is incredible — volunteers, staff and trainees all help each other, and that support makes even the toughest days feel rewarding,” she added.
Many of Sanctuary Kitchen’s chefs are immigrants from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Mauritius and Nepal.
“Even though we all come from different countries, when we are in the kitchen, it feels like we are one big family,” Tariq wrote over text. “We share the same dreams, similar struggles and a love for cooking that brings us together.”
That sense of community is shared by others at the market, where local vendors and volunteers have formed a strong network over the years.
Alex Avinger, a local high school student, has volunteered with Sanctuary Kitchen since 2023.
“I love the community here, and I get to see a lot of people. I’m more familiar with the people here, so that’s why I keep coming back,” Alex said at Saturday’s farmers market. “My favorite part is talking to the other volunteers and getting to know a lot of the customers who come here.”
That sense of connection extends to Sanctuary Kitchen’s customers as well.
Tristan Levy, who goes by Mo, runs a stall called Mo Piklz that sells pickled cucumbers and pineapple. A vendor at the CitySeed Farmers Market since 2021, he’s also a frequent customer of Sanctuary Kitchen, often stopping to pick up his favorite Middle Eastern dishes.
“It’s real great,” he said. “I love Middle Eastern stuff, because I’m getting older and trying to keep the pounds off, and that’s a good way to do it. I love the muhammara. The beet yogurt that they have is fantastic as well. The dumplings are great. The rice with the crispy onions — those are some of my favorites.”
Levy particularly appreciates Sanctuary Kitchen’s focus on healthy, spice-rich foods.
Each item Sanctuary Kitchen sells is labeled with the chef’s name and the name of the dish. Levy had bought Aminah’s Muhammara, a Syrian roasted red pepper and walnut dip.
The Wooster Square Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. outdoors in the parking lot of Conte West Hills Magnet School through Nov. 22.
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