Having lost everything to war, Imad Alarnab left Syria with only the love for his family and the desire to provide for them. He took on the refugee’s journey from Damascus to Europe with so much faith in his heart and so little money in his pocket.

The three-month refugee journey is a journey we haven’t heard about before, but despite the difficulties Imad has faced, his smile remained while telling me his story. 

Imad owned three restaurants, several juice bars, and some coffee shops in Damascus, all of which were destroyed in 2012, leaving him with only one choice to leave and seek a better life for himself and his family. 

After his long journey from one city to another, Imad finally arrived in London in 2015 with only £12 in his pocket, just enough for a bus fare to get him to his sister’s place. He then started working as a car washer and car salesman until he found a way to a kitchen again. 

Imad didn’t want to cook in anyone else’s kitchen, “The food will know if this is not my space, my pots, my tools. It will have a different flavor to it. That’s why I never wanted to cook my food in anyone else’s kitchen, I wanted my own again.” 

With his determination to get back to a love he’s known for so many years, in 2017 Imad partnered with a charity to host a pop-up kitchen in east London. The delicious flavors of Damascus that he brought with him to London, led him to many more pop-ups bringing the traditional Syrian cuisine to a new audience of food lovers. 

At the beginning of the Pandemic, Imad purchased a restaurant with whatever money he had saved from his pop-ups and took a chance on making his dream come true. “I was ready for the grand opening, but every time I prepare for it, a new lockdown happens, so I end up donating the food. I had three attempts at opening this restaurant, I lost so much money trying to, but I never gave up.” 

Finally, in May 2021, Imad’s Kitchen opened its door to London, inviting people from different nationalities to have a taste of a home Imad had known for many years. “This happened not because I’m strong or brave, I am proof that if you try to do something good for people, something good will happen to you. This is a fact.” 

Imad’s Kitchen received so many awards and recognitions since it opened its door, such as the British GQ Food & Drink 2022 Award.

This Ramadan, Imad pledged to donate £1 from every ticket he gets throughout the month to Karam Foundation.

From all of us at Karam, we thank Imad and the Imad’s Kitchen team for contributing to our Ramadan campaign in providing for Syrian refugees on their way to self-sustainability.