From Turkey to Hackney: a story of refugees, generosity and great food

By Lucas Martin

We Bimblers seem to have a knack for finding hidden gems: places with incredible food or a unique atmosphere, and oftentimes behind it all, an inspiring story. 215 Hackney is all of this and so much more.

Joint owners Cemal Polat and Ali Kalkan have been friends since they were 6 years old, classmates at the local Stoke Newington school just 15 minutes away from where their book-filled restaurant now stands. Their early childhood, however, involved a lot of travel: both Ali and Cemal were born in eastern Turkey but were forced to flee their home country with their families due to the government persecution of Kurds. Today, in 215 Hackney, their history plays an important role.

Cemal tells me how one of their main intentions in opening the restaurant was to reframe the way people view the Middle East -by showing it in its true colours and through its true flavours. “Most of the time when you’re talking about the Middle East”, Cemal says, “you’re thinking about problems. But the Middle East is beautiful! The food, the flavours, the culture, the geography. So we wanted to portray all of this in our restaurant.” And they definitely have. Their vibrant menu takes us on a journey through the Levant from “morning Palestine” to “Jerusalem Veg”, and brings us right back to London with their ingenious twist on British classics.

Head chef Erdal Atas from Diyarbakir, Eastern Turkey is known for being a culinary artist and earned his chops working all over the Middle East before working his magic here at 215 Hackney. Similarly, the second head chef Furkan Hakyemez, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, mixes his culinary school prowess with street food staples.

But 215 Hackney does so much more than just serve delicious food. They donate 20% of their restaurant profits and 100% of cookbook proceeds to Warchild UK; a charity that looks after vulnerable refugee children, helping to keep them safe, giving them an education and equipping them with skills for the future. A cause close to their hearts,

Unsurprisingly, Warchild UK really resonated with Cemal and Ali was a natural choice for a charity to partner with. But in addition to supporting those affected by war, 215 Hackney is also committed to providing in their local area. Growing up, Cemal and Ali relied on free school meals and understand intimately the struggles that families face during the school holidays. So now, over half terms, they step in to provide delicious and nutritious free meals to families in need. And when 215 Hackney was forced to close their doors at the height of COVID, they stepped up again and made food for local hospitals — Homerton, Whipps Cross, Royal Free and North Middlesex — delivering a total of 6,500 meals to NHS key workers.

215 Hackney epitomises the very best of independent business: high quality, a whole lot of charm and deep roots in the community.

Cemal and Ali place a huge emphasis on supporting local, independent suppliers to “contribute to the amazing local businesses, which have inspired us to invest in the area.” They source their Merguez sausage from Meet 16 in Stoke Newington whilst their vegetables and fruit come from a supplier based two doors down from their restaurant. In addition, coffee is supplied by Dalston-based Allpress and fish comes from the Fishmongers on Stoke Newington High Street, which itself is sourced from Billingsgate fish market.

The commitment to giving back in every aspect of their business is truly inspiring!

215 Hackney is an amazing blend of delicious food with a real story to it. Cemal tells me “you need character behind your food” and I couldn’t agree more!

Find 215 Hackney and other places that are giving back in my Bimble.

If you have a story you’d like to share about a great little place or other bimbling experiences, get in touch with us at hello@bimble.com.