Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, alongside artist Deepa Mann-Kler, has released a cookbook full of recipes and intergenerational stories submitted by local people.

The ‘Meet our Mothers’ cookbook launched at a vibrant celebration feast in Lister Park on 28 September.

From Ukrainian cheese pancakes to Greek rice, Lamb biryani to Ghanaian beef stew, ‘Meet our Mothers’ is a landmark project by Bradford 2025. The cookbook is a portrait of modern Bradford, capturing the flavours, the recipes, stories of people from all over the district.

Submitted by local people and selected by artist Deepa Mann-Kler, the cookbook is full of treasured family recipes. Each dish is accompanied by a personal story from the contributor; from funny first-date stories to intergenerational tales of migration, the book highlights the connections formed through food by Bradfordians of all backgrounds.

Following a public call out in 2024, and a series of engagement workshops with local community groups in late 2024 to early 2025, local people from a wide range of backgrounds were encouraged to share their tales and cookery secrets with the Bradford 2025 team. The selected participants were invited to a photoshoot at NEET, based in Northcliffe Park, to watch their dishes be cooked and professionally styled for capture.

Select recipes are also brought to life directly from the pages of the book through the use of immersive digital technology. Select food stories can be explored using Augmented Reality (AR), accessed through a free companion app, called ‘Meet our Mothers Cookbook AR’.

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: “‘Meet our Mothers’ is more than just a cookbook – it is a celebration of the rich cultural tapestry of Bradford district. This book captures the flavours that define our welcoming communities, and the heritage that brings us together.”

Deepa Mann-Kler, artist, added: “Collecting these recipes has been a deeply humbling experience. Each one carries more than just ingredients: it holds memory, migration, love and resistance. 

Sitting with families, hearing their stories, I realised this isn’t just a cookbook. It is an archive of identity, a celebration of survival and a testament to the power of food to hold us together.

The use of Augmented Reality brings these stories to life in a way that feels intimate, respectful and deeply human, connecting generations through technology that enhances – not erases – our heritage. I feel deeply honoured and grateful to have worked on this project, it is one of the most meaningful artistic commissions of my life and resonates with me on a profoundly personal level.”

Helen Featherstone, director of England North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, commented: “Stories of food are a great way of exploring heritage, and what better way to mark Bradford’s year as City of Culture than to celebrate its vibrant and multi-cultural cuisine. 

We’re thrilled that, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we have been able to support the ‘Meet our Mothers’ project to collect these wonderful recipes and stories from across Bradford, and preserve them in a beautiful publication”