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A kidney bean curry on top of white rice

Plates from Home

Share your recipe, celebrate our community
A kidney bean curry on top of white rice

Behind every favourite meal is a memory, a tradition, a place, a person or a moment that helped shape who we are. That's why we're inviting University of Birmingham students and staff to take part in Plates from Home - a celebration of the recipes and stories that make up our community.

Whether it's a family favourite passed down through generations, a dish from your culture, a recipe that reminds you of home, or a meal that helped you feel connected while studying or working away from home, we'd love to hear about it.

By sharing your recipe and story, you'll help us showcase the rich diversity of experiences, cultures and traditions across our University community and contribute towards a future collection of recipes and stories from our community.

To enter, simply submit

  • A photo of your dish
  • The recipe – and the story behind it
  • Confirm you'd be happy for your recipe and story to be included in a future community cookbook

Our winning recipe will be recreated by our chefs and featured on a campus menu.

The winner will also receive:

Submit your dish

Food Fellows promises to delivery an authentic, inclusive and sustainable food experience, in line with our pillars. Plates from Home celebrates the inclusivity of the food we offer to our staff and students, who come from over 150 nations.

  • Last year's winner

    Last year’s winning dish was Grandma’s Cosy Rajma Masala, from MBA student Pavan Durgaraju. The moreish and nourishing vegan kidney bean curry made it onto the menu at Campus Infusion and The Shack, becoming a favourite with diners – and the campaign won the Best Marketing Campaign Award at the CUBO Awards 2026.

    CUBO 2026

Terms and conditions

  1. Open to all current University of Birmingham students and staff members.
  2. Entrants must submit a recipe and a short story (max 300 words) explaining the personal meaning of the dish they have chosen.
  3. Submissions must be original and authentic.
  4. Entries can be submitted online via our form.
  5. Deadline for entries is 30 October 2026.
  6. A panel will review entries and select winning dishes based on creativity, story, and inclusivity.
  7. The winning recipe will be featured in University of Birmingham campus food outlet(s). The dish will be inspired by the Food Fellows team, who reserve the right to adapt recipes accordingly. 
  8. The winner will also receive a Mini Polaroid camera; Wireless headphones; either £100 UoB Food Wallet credit OR 1 month Sport & Fitness membership trial; and £50 University gift shop voucher. No alternatives or cash alternatives will be offered to any of the prizes. To claim the UoB Food Wallet credit, the winner would need to download the Food Fellows app.
  9. By submitting, you agree for your recipe, story and any photography to be featured in University of Birmingham communications, social media posts, awards applications, press releases, menus and recipe collections (online and published). This includes the winners’ name(s) and a photograph of the winner.
  10. The winner will receive the stated prize. No additional royalties, payments or revenue will be payable in connection with their entry.
  11. We reserve the right to withdraw or cancel the competition at any stage. The judges’ decision is final.