Student Yasmina Khababi has a passion for food. During her bachelor’s degree she founded Freshtable: a catering business specialising in halal and vegan cuisine. After a year focusing on her company, she is now studying for a master’s degree in leadership and change management.
A business with a social heart
Yasmina refers to her catering company as a social enterprise. She employs people from many cultures. These are former refugees. 'During the COVID lockdown we had three months without making any profit. We carried on cooking food. We donated hundreds of meals to elderly people and a women’s shelter,' Yasmina says.
This is fully in line with Freshtable’s mission. 'We are a social enterprise, so even when times are dire we believe that making an impact and making a profit is key to our success. Donating meals is part of our belief that everyone deserves equal access to food.'
'Ramadan always comes when I need it'
Yasmina Khababi
Freshtable
A real community meal at EUR
Freshtable is now making a name for itself with its catering, including during Ramadan. Yasmina was delighted to be asked to provide a feast of food to mark Iftar at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). "This was a real community meal", she explains. 'We practise inclusivity, diversity and sustainability at university and food complements this as we need to take everyone’s needs into account.'
Although Yasmina loves food, she also welcomes Ramadan, when Muslims do not eat during daylight hours. 'It’s more than just fasting for me, it’s about prayer and reflection, a spiritual detox and mandatory reset button. Ramadan always comes at the right time when I need it and enables me to focus on what’s important.'
All cuisines are worth exploring
What is Yasmina's favourite cuisine? 'That’s a difficult question. It’s like being asked to choose your favourite kid,' she responds. 'If I have to choose, I’ll go for Mediterranean dishes in general, and Lebanese in particular. We have so many cultures within Europe. While they are all worth exploring, I find everyone likes the variety of Lebanese cooking.'
Broadened horizons at our university
Studying at our university has certainly helped Yasmina to achieve her ambitions. She enthusiastically points out that it has broadened her horizons. 'I was welcomed with open arms and have been able to make friends from all over the world.'
Something that also made a big impact on her was that in her second year Yasmina was taught by a Muslim lecturer, a man of Egyptian and Italian heritage. 'I immediately felt at home and welcomed as a Muslim student in a university that actively welcomes inclusivity at both ends of the classroom.'
During Yasmina’s bachelors’ degree in the Management of International Social Challenges, she opted to take a minor in Inclusive and Emergent Leadership. This gave her the opportunity to coach students in their final year at secondary school: 'Talking to a 17-year-old, he said he didn’t know there were so many Muslims at university in the Netherlands. After our conversation, he told me he was inspired to find out more about taking a degree.'
'I encourage young people to follow their dreams, whatever they may be'
Yasmina Khababi
Freshtable
Not limited to one role
As Yasmina’s studies come to an end, she has embarked on an internship with Dutch consultancy Berenschot. As part of a digital transformation team, working in leadership and change management in the public sector, she is developing new skills to open career opportunities in this field.
When she looks towards her future career path, she is certain about one thing: she does not want to be limited to one role only. 'We have so many choices now. It’s not the 18th century when, if your father was a farmer, you’ll be a farmer and your kids will be farmers as well. I urge young people to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.'
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