Earlier this month, we invited members of the African and Caribbean communities living and working in Sutton to contribute with images of a loved object -from a photograph, to a family heirloom and even a song or recipe- and the story behind it. In his submission, Simon shared images of the Gambian dish Benachin, alongside childhood memories.
Simon as a child, with his grandmother 
Gambian Benachin (Jollof Rice)
“An item that represents my cultural heritage is a dish called Benachin. Benachin is The Gambia’s one-pot rice dish, also known as Jollof Rice throughout West Africa, and includes rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli peppers, onions, salt, spices and beef or mutton. Everything is cooked together in one big pot.
Although born in London my Dad grew up in The Gambia to a Gambian father and an English mother. When I was young my brother and I would go with my Dad to visit his Gambian friends, sit round a big table, enjoy eating Benachin and laughing as they recalled their youthful adventures. My Dad recently delivered some Benachin to my home and it brought back childhood memories.”
The Locals: object_ive aims at celebrating the diverse communities of Sutton, making our collections more inclusive, and sharing what heritage means to each of us. Do you have an object meaningful to you that you would like to share? Get in touch at heritage.submissions@sutton.gov.uk
Whitehall Historic House 