SYRIAN chefs from a popular York restaurant are set to share their native cuisine as part of York Food & Drink Festival.

The team are part of 'Yahala Mataam' - which means 'Welcome Restaurant' in Arabic - a partnership project between the Refugee Council, York City Church and a group of gifted chefs from Syria.

The restaurant is relaunching their monthly pop-up evening in York this Autumn after it was forced to temporarily stop due to the pandemic.

The chefs will be in the demonstration kitchen on St. Sampson's Square at 12pm on Wednesday, September 22, sharing recipes handed down through many generations.

They will also be serving up classic Syrian hummus and fresh falafel on the final weekend of the festival in St. Sampson’s Square.

“We are really thrilled to welcome Yahala Mataam to festival for the first time," festival organiser Sarah Hjort said.

“The ongoing crisis in Afghanistan has really put refugees back in the forefront of people’s minds."

"Supporting Yahala and giving them a space at the festival really feels like the least we could do. We hope others come to support them too."