Cheeseboards are a favourite around this time of year. After stuffing your face with turkey and all the trimmings, you still can’t help but eye up the cheeses and chutney that sit temptingly afterwards.
With Mezzes by Mia however, grazing foods are taken to the next level.
Run by Fatima Al-Robeye, she receives orders for her Arabian style mezzes and cheeseboards directly via her business’s Instagram page.
Inspired deeply by her Arabian heritage, she offers traditional, vibrant mezze dishes along with some of her own personal twists which have proved a hit since starting out only three months ago.
She’s been blown away by the feedback so far and with Christmas approaching, why not get your order in and make your post-Christmas-lunch slog all the more exciting?
We talked to Fatima, nicknamed Mia, to find out more about her business.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Glasgow. My family moved over here from Iraq and I was the first one of us to be born outside of the ‘homeland’, essentially. Arabs revolve around food and it was a really big thing for me growing up.
I was always cooking and deep down it’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do, but I obviously still wanted to study and go to university. I moved up to Aberdeen five years ago and I’m currently still here doing my Master’s degree in psychological studies and mental health.
For those who might not know, what is mezze style food?
Mezze essentially means a selection of dishes. They’re sometimes known as the Arab tapas. There’s no set way to do a mezze – every Arab country does it a little bit differently.
My mezzes aren’t wholly Iraqi; I like to merge mine with a whole range of cuisines. Growing up in Glasgow, and with so many refugees coming over from different countries, it’s a bit of a mixing pot. You’re not really in an Iraqi community, you’re in an Arab community. All the dishes I’ve been exposed to are from various Arab countries. It’s food I’ve been making and eating for years.
Do you have a lot of family memories with mezze dishes from growing up?
There are three main dishes we would always have whenever guests came round to visit: baba ghanouj (similar to hummus but made with aubergine instead of chickpeas), hummus and tabbouleh (salad). It’s so associated with family and authenticity that you can’t really make up the recipes as you go along.
When I left home for uni, I would usually only make Arab food when I went back home. It wasn’t until lockdown when I wasn’t going home that I wanted to change that. It was weird at first because I was so used to my mum and my dad making the food; I had so many memories associated with them that I was almost scared of messing them up – a lot of Facetime calls and reassurance was needed!
Where did you first get the idea to start your own business?
It’s been in the running in my brain for a few years. Around six or seven months ago, we weren’t able to have our normal graduation ceremony for my undergrad degree due to Covid. So, I had some friends round and instead of getting food in, I said, ‘I’ll make up a graze table with cheeses and lots of mezze dishes’. One of my friends eventually said, ‘I would literally buy one of these from you every week if you were to do this as a business,’ and it kind of went from there.
These dishes are everyday to me, but my friends would come round with empty containers to take food home for themselves and their families! I think that’s when it occurred that it was something I could do and absolutely love.
How did it feel when you officially started the business?
I only started very recently in September this year with a mezze launch. I sent out six mezzes on that day and the feedback was just insane. To see people post pictures of the food I’d grown up with and had put love and tears into (lots of tears that day!) was such a weird feeling. I also put in little menus with the mezzes which included the Arabic words for dishes and how to pronounce them. I wanted it to be as authentic as possible.
How does the business operate?
It’s based off of Instagram DMs (direct messages). People sometimes message for specific orders for specific days, but sometimes I have mezzes or cheeseboards prepped, put them on story and people take them from there. It is currently collection based only in Aberdeen. I’m at the stage just now where I just want people to try it and love it.
What’s some of the most popular foods at the heart of your mezzes and cheeseboards?
Everything I make is completely homemade. The halal meats I use are mainly chorizo meats for the cheeseboards. Everything is plant-based in the mezzes apart from a few cheese options which I can adapt for people’s requirements. The most popular dishes I’d say would be the baba ghanouj – which is surprising because it wasn’t my favourite growing up! Also the pepper stuffed with feta cheese is very popular.
Is there anyone else in Aberdeen offering anything like this at the moment?
There are Turkish restaurants like Turkish Kitchen and Rendezvous in the city – which I love. But I’m the only person in Aberdeen offering halal meat through my cheeseboxes and the only mezze person that people can buy from and take home with them.
I love the idea of people being able to have these in their own home, like I did growing up. I think that way you can relax a bit more and it’s an experience I want people to be able to enjoy.
What’s the feedback been like at this early stage with the business? Are you excited for the future?
The feedback has been amazing. I’ve had people who don’t usually eat Arab food or are picky eaters say that they’ve loved it. It’s something that I love and I know I’m good at.
The vision in my brain right now is to do catering events with Mezzes by Mia. To be able to make mezzes and cheeseboards on a bigger scale with wooden boards, Arab lanterns and candles would be my dream. I love making things look authentic and aesthetically pleasing.
To find out more, or to order, check out Mezzes by Mia on Instagram.