About
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— CODE NOIR —
An interactive learning experience delving into the history of Caribbean cuisine
Lelani Lewis started Code Noir in 2017. Becoming obsessed with developing a mainstream platform for Caribbean food, Lelani wants to demonstrate how unique and diverse Caribbean cuisine is through events. She combines her love of bringing people together around the table and paying homage to those who came before her. Hailing from South London with Grenadian and Irish heritage, Lelani grew up amongst the diversity of cuisine. She has collaborated with several institutions such as Tropenmuseum, Mediamatic, Felix Meritis, What Design Can Do and TedXAmsterdam.
Atelier Code Noir is a space dedicated to decolonising the food system and drive systematic change. We are building a vibrant community of food connoisseurs, enthusiasts, supporters, local residents and other interested parties. We offer a program of events which include workshops, talks and dinners that creates awareness and connection among a wide audience through the medium of food.
Dinners
— An immersive dining experience —
The narrative of the cuisine is intrinsically woven into all the details of the evening. The whole event is carefully curated to explain the history of the cuisine, with careful consideration and intention poured into the food itself, crockery, cutlery, drink pairings, music, performances, tablescapes, lighting – an all-encompassing interactive experience.
Workshops
— Connecting cultures and people —
Led by chef Lelani Lewis, the audience is guided through the gastronomical history of the Caribbean, discovering how international trade created the cross-pollination of flavours that exist on our plates today.
Talks
— Food for Thought —
Lelani Lewis is available to do engaging talks on the following subjects: colonialism in food, food and identity, global trade and the consequences on the food industry. She has delivered talks for Royal Conservatory in The Hague (Koninklijk Conservatorium), Bloei & Groei, Mediamatic and more.
— STORY —
Code Noir derives its name from the 17th Century manuscript defining the conditions of enslaved people in the French Colonies of the New World. It is an immersive food experience that shows its guests how the worldwide exchange of goods has influenced current-day dishes – for the better or worse.
The main focus of Code Noir is to illustrate how the impact of the slave trade, exploitation, migration, globalisation and its profound human injustice shaped contemporary culinary culture as we know it. These phenomena created new social constructs within the Caribbean, creating the conditions for cultural innovation. Because of the heavy resource limitations that communities in the Caribbean endured, the powerful story of these people is evident in the food that they celebrate.
Code Noir reflects on this in workshops, public dinners and lectures, where we highlight ingredients significant to specific periods within Caribbean history, using them to craft every course. Creating a narrative of the event that colourfully represents the different periods in this region through food, performance and interaction.
