My journey with food started long before Yaab was even an idea—it began in a kitchen filled with the scent of simmering spices and the sound of sizzling pans. I grew up watching both my parents, professional chefs, run Somali restaurants in Hull and Bristol throughout the ’90s and early 2000s. In our home, food wasn’t just dinner—it was life, family, and a form of expression. From a young age, I loved experimenting, improvising, and playing
with ingredients. I’d head into the kitchen just to remix traditional recipes, trying out unexpected combinations just to see what might happen. That spirit of curiosity and bold flavor is at the heart of everything I do. Yaab in Somali means surprise, awe, or even shock—and that’s often the reaction when people see traditional recipes fused with modern, unconventional techniques. That’s where the name comes from. Yaab was created to celebrate that feeling and to share our passion for food, culture, and creativity