YUM YAM FESTIVAL

In Nigeria, for the Igbo people, the Yam is a food staple not unlike the potato in the UK. With a New Yam or Iri ji festival held every August. This annual celebration symbolises the end of harvest and the beginning of the next work cycle. Importantly it brings individual Igbo communities together to celebrate the Yam as The King of the Crops.

Hull has its own August Yam festival, held at the city hall, where up to 300 Igbo people gather for food, dancing and the wearing of traditional clothing.

Innocent and his wife Juliet, owners of This Place Mini Store on Hessle Road, with their children are part of Hull’s Igbo community. They join the festival every year. Innocent is proudly considered an Elder because he works hard for the community and is industrious, helping people when they need it, making his contribution at the celebrations important. He wears specific clothing, featuring a lion head patterned jacket, while also leading drumming and men’s dances. "We use that festival to thank God for providing a bountiful harvest. It’s important that we express our faith and culture."

Juliet says: "The whole community looks forward to this festival, with preparations taking weeks. People cook our native food in big pots and we all bring our own spoon and plate and share and eat together. Yes it's about the Yam but also about portraying to our children our culture. We teach them and transfer knowledge so that when they grow up things will continue. We get to meet family and feel connected which is important as it lets us keep bonds. Women wear their best outfits – Isi Agu - which are often made and then sent specially from Nigeria for the festival. Children learn dances and have special costumes. We talk and dance and share."

Innocence knows "Our customers also love to eat Yam, you may as well shut the door if you don't have any in stock." Irador a customer agrees "I love Boiled yam with hot pepper soup and a side dish of palm oil for dipping the Yam in."