Eat Offbeat is a social enterprise that aims to help refugees feel established in their new country. The common practice of reducing refugees to a series of statistics only serves to add to the perception of them as a convergent mass of faceless individuals.

Eat Off Beat aims to offer members of the modern day Syrian diaspora a chance to become an effectual member of a new society by offering them gainful employment. In addition to this, refugees will feel a sense of inclusion more quickly while also maintaining a their own culture.

The founders, Manal and Kissam Wahi - themselves academic émigré from Lebanon who arrived in New York two years ago - have secured support from the International Rescue Committee and enlisted the help of professional chef Juan Suarez de Lezo – formerly of Spanish restaurant El Bulli, which was awarded Best Restaurant in the world in 2009. Ultimately we want to change the narrative around refugees, for new Yorkers and the rest of the world to see that refugees don’t have to be a burden, they have economic value.

The only qualification required of prospective employees is a love of cooking and experience of catering to large groups. It is thought that by being exposed to Americans, their English will improve more rapidly.

According to the UN High Commission, the number of refugees worldwide is at its highest level for 20 years. Social activism of this kind could serve as a conduit between broader society, business and these people.