An Eat Ethio Gathering

Join Eat Ethio for a day-long gathering exploring Ethiopian culture through coffee, food, and sound at Turner Contemporary in Margate.

Led by artist and cultural curator Helina Tesega, founder of Eat Ethio, this special takeover brings together three individually ticketed events across the day: a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a communal seasonal lunch, and an evening listening session centred around Ethiopian jazz and traditional sound.

Rooted in Ethiopian traditions of gathering, hospitality, and collective experience, the programme invites audiences to slow down, connect, and spend time together through shared rituals of eating, listening, and conversation.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

10.00am–11.00am
Tickets: £30

Begin the day with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, prepared and served slowly as an act of gathering and welcome. Guests are invited to sit together, take part in the process, and experience coffee as a shared cultural ritual grounded in conversation, care, and hospitality.

Shared Lunch

1.00pm–3.00pm
Tickets: £65

A communal lunch centred on seasonal British ingredients and coastal herbs, bringing Ethiopian and local influences into conversation through food. Designed as a shared dining experience, the meal creates space for connection, exchange, and slowing down together around the table.

Includes a complimentary non-alcoholic drink paired with your meal. Additional drinks available to purchase at the bar.

Please note: all food served is vegetarian. Gluten-free options can be accommodated — please let us know in advance if you are gluten free or have any allergies or dietary requirements.

Listening Session

7.30pm–8.30pm
Tickets: £15

As evening approaches, the space shifts into a listening session featuring Ethiopian jazz, pentatonic scales, and traditional sounds selected by Helina & Scott. The music is intended to gently guide the atmosphere of the room, offering a moment for reflection, listening, and collective presence.

About Eat Ethio

Eat Ethio is a Margate-based creative studio founded by cultural curator and artist Helina Tesega, exploring Ethiopian culture through food, music, and gathering as interconnected practices.

Originating in Shanghai over a decade ago and later evolving through Hong Kong before arriving in London, Eat Ethio has hosted listening sessions, curated dinners, and coffee ceremonies across cities and spaces, collaborating with musicians, artists, institutions, and exhibitions to present Ethiopian sound, food, and culture in new contexts.