Syrian Refugee Women’s Food Company Tayybeh Celebrates Fourth Year as an Award-Winning Social Enterprise

The Vancouver-based company that has served over 250,000 meals to Vancouverites is now offering new menus and products for delivery, six days a week. 

Vancouver-based food company, Tayybeh was launched in 2016 to celebrate Syrian cuisine and offer sustainable employment to newly arrived refugee women. Although they started as a community pop-up dinner series, Tayybeh quickly grew into a full-time catering company that now offers made-to-order meals for pick up and delivery to the Lower Mainland and North Shore. Vegans, vegetarians, and those craving a home cooked meal can purchase these celebrated Middle Eastern dishes at www.tayybeh.com. 

Tayybeh’s fourth anniversary is testament to its employees’ tenacity, work ethic and culinary skill. Not only has the company navigated its catering business through a drastically changing market, but it has continued to drive success into the fourth quarter of 2020. Realizing the operational challenges the catering industry is currently facing, this year Tayybeh decided to turn its attention towards meal prep and consumer packaged goods. The company’s products can now be found in local stores and farmers markets, and Tayybeh has recently partnered up with Vancouver-based meal preparation and delivery service Fresh Prep among other companies like OCO and UpMeals. 

Since 2016, Tayybeh has provided employment to numerous Syrian refugee women and served over 250,000 meals to Vancouverites. 

Raghda, a chef at Tayybeh, says: “When I first arrived in Canada, I felt alienated in this new country, where everything was so different from what I knew in Syria. When I became a chef for Tayybeh, it gave me a renewed sense of ownership, purpose and empowerment. Being part of this exciting new enterprise has helped me to reconnect with my culture while reaching out to new communities in Canada.

“It was really magnificent when the first dinner was held. People’s reactions, looks and love were everything. Those evenings started with just dinner, then became a cultural event. At every event, we’d feature Syrian or Arab musicians, writers and dancers. 

“When we first arrived, lots of people had never heard of what Syria and what the Syrian heritage was really like. After they get to know us, they’re surprised at how talented the Syrian people really are.”

As a social enterprise that employs recently arrived Syrian women - many of whom have overcome immense hardship - Tayybeh is committed to helping those in need. With a focus on building and strengthening connections between communities, Tayybeh aims to provide support and empowerment to the most vulnerable members of Vancouver society. Tayybeh frequently donates meals to the unhoused population of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Most recently, Tayybeh has partnered with Vancity Credit Union to produce 5,000 meals for communities across Vancouver affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The company takes a strong stand to support initiatives that lift those who are struggling in these challenging times, and is determined to stand by the motto: “The measure of a society is in its generosity and kindness towards its most vulnerable.” 

Celebrate Tayybeh’s anniversary with 20% all fresh, frozen, and packaged meals available at www.tayybeh.com by using the coupon code: 4YEARS