Shortlist announced for 2025 OCC scholarships

The Oxford Cultural Collective is delighted to announce the shortlist for two of its 2025 scholarships – the Lou Willcock Scholarship and the Yan-Kit So Award for Food Writers on Asia.

Winners will be announced on 1^st November at a reception for around 60 invited guests at the legendary L’Escargot restaurant in London’s Soho. The evening will also see the launch of the Carluccio Changemakers Programme, designed to build a sense of community and common purpose amongst past OCC Scholarship winners.

 

Candidates for the Lou Willcock Scholarship

 

Candidates for the Lou Willcock Scholarship propose a self-designed project that will benfit them personally and professionally, as well as having a positive impact on others. The £5000 grant from the OCC Trust, plus mentoring support from Trustees, will help them realise their project outcomes.

Safiya Robinson aims to establish a recurring weekend retreat for Black women working in food, providing dedicated time for rest, skill-building and community connection. Inspired by Bell Hooks’ Sisters of the Yam, the retreat will focus on intentional nourishment through workshops, collaborative cooking sessions and discussions that explore Black diasporic foodways and self-care practices. The retreat will be designed to addresses the unique challenges Black women face in the hospitality industry.

Henry Kenyon aims to create a long-form photo-essay showcasing and investigating the activities of a regenerative learning farm at the Black Mountains College in Wales, where he is currently a student. For three days per week over ten months he will record the ways the people of the farm are improving the biodiversity of soil, growing food and passing on knowledge. This will lead to workshops and a physical and online exhibition focused on food as a tool for impactful storytelling.

Josefina Venegas Meza aims to establish Sazón, a bilingual digital culinary magazine that will feature recipes and essays from Latin Americans living in the UK. Informed by research with members of the Latin American diaspora, the magazine will provide space for collaboration and community-building, especially among those whose culinary identities are often marginalised or overlooked. As well as showcasing the richness and diversity of Latin American food culture the project will advance cultural visibility and exchange.

 

Candidates for the Yan-Kit So Award for Food Writers on Asia

Candidates for the Yan-Kit So Award for Food Writers on Asia submit proposals for their first food-focused book, which can address any aspect of the food and food culture of Asian nations. The £3000 grant from the OCC Trust supports their research trips to their chosen location.

Arti Mirwani-Daltry. In Sindhu Nanis and their Legacy, Arti will consider how those who became refugees in Indonesia and Singapore, following the horrors of Indian partition, kept hold of their cultural heritage through recipes passed down from a remarkable generation of grandmothers.

Marni Xuto. Part memoir, part cookbook, Bangkok in a Bowl will braid recipes and stories to show how Chinese, Khmer, Lao and Indian notes are reflected in the distinctive cuisine of Bangkok.

Caroline Smialek. In Fusion Ferments, Caroline will share her passion for fermented sauces, pastes and vegetables, inspiring others to look to traditional methods to create products infused with their own loves and life experiences.

Angela Zaher. Easy Lebanesey will be Angela’s practical, approachable guide to Lebanese cooking for the home cook, designed for those who want speedy, healthy meals without fuss or complexity.

Owen Diaram. A Flavour Master in India will be Owen’s personal exploration of his Indian heritage, revealed through cultural traditions, recipes and anecdotes from his planned research trip.

 

Note: Trustees have decided not to shortlist for the Golden Chopsticks Scholarship for 2025. Whilst there was a range of interesting entries, they did not sufficiently focus on the community impact element of the criteria.