Journal Entry: Table Talk the relaunch

Journalling, note taking or even just scribbling and sketching out ideas has been a personal practice for Chef and Founder Imke Potgieter throughout the journey of Ubuntu Food.

There isn’t a meeting that is attended, or a chefs table eaten at, that the journal doesn’t come along to. For them its a way of capturing, processing, and making sense of the experiences that we move through. Creating space to reflect and move forward through their writing.

Journaling in the yard with Sam during lockdown

The concept for Table Talk online journal has been there since the beginning of Ubuntu Food. A time when our name existed merely as a title for a personal research project that Imke had embarked on after making the decision to leave the corporate world and move into the world of food and fire.

Earlier journal entries shed light on these research explorations of the intertwined nature of food, people and culture. With write ups being reflective of the experiences Imke had moving cities and exploring the new landscapes that inspired them.

For a while Table Talk went quiet. Not because we were not inspired, but because we made the decision to detach our narrative from the public sphere and instead focused on our sense of self, who are we as a collective, and what do we want Ubuntu Food to stand for? Using instagram only as a temporary outlet for small snippets of our writing/ photos, as we developed Ubuntu Food behind the scenes.
For Imke the focus was on getting out into the field, investing her time in exploring and experiencing our community in the real world. Developing authentic relationships, and endeavouring to learn through every exchange Ubuntu Food had with those who welcomed us into their space.

Our table in many ways has become a central motif for our collective. Creating an inclusive space for important conversations to happen, breaking down the barriers of expectation and allowing new narratives to unfold around our table as people connect. Table Talk journal takes this motif online, a platform where we are able to share our voice and elevate the stories of others in our community.

Early days journalling on the coast, South Africa

The stories, perspectives and write ups are brought to life with 35mm film images, and look to encourage our community to get outside and experience the wonderment of building a relationship with nature. We share journal entries that are both personal and thought provoking, not being afraid to sometimes lean into the discomfort of our reality, with the hopes that we are able to create dialogue that positively contributes to shifting of paradigms in our industry.

We welcome the curious into our space.

Ubuntu.

I am, because we are.