Pregnant Meghan Markle praises Grenfell kitchen women as she helps survivors make meals

MEGHAN Markle today praised women working in a kitchen set up following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and told them: “I’m so proud of you.”

The 37-year-old dropped in to visit the Hubb Community Kitchen in West London after helping them write a cookbook in the wake of the blaze.

Today she saw how proceeds from the book were being spent as she visited the newly-renovated kitchen to help cook 200 meals for the local community.

She beamed as she cradled her baby bump during the “secret” visit – which was not publicised beforehand.

The Duchess, who wore a burgundy dress and coat by Club Monaco, showed off her cooking skills after being greeted with huge smiles and hugs on Wednesday morning.

Later she drank ginger tea as she spoke to some of the women – telling them: “I’m so proud of you. It’s really exciting.”

Meghan has made several private visits to the community kitchen since January and the cookbook was her first solo project as a royal.

She has previously described it as a “tremendous labour of love”.

Meghan, who is around five months pregnant, was greeted by kitchen co-ordinator Zaheera Sufyaan and Abdurahman Sayed, chief executive of the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Centre.

She quickly abandoned any pretence at formality when she got into the kitchen.

The US actress made meals which included rainbow roasted vegetables, a recipe in the book from Ahlam Saeid, an Iraqi chemist, who stood chatting to the Duchess as she mixed the vegetables.

The book, which features more than 50 recipes from women whose community was affected by the fire, was the start of a journey into other community projects for the women at the community centre, where those who fled the Grenfell fire were fed in the days and weeks that followed the tragedy.

They are now feeding the homeless and the elderly, and embarking on other projects, such as helping others learn English and computer skills.

Meghan, who suggested the idea of a fundraising cookbook when she first met the women, said to a group of the women: “It starts from one idea and from this one idea starts so much.

“I’m so proud of you.”

The Duchess told them: “It hasn’t been a year yet. From that standpoint, what you have achieved in that short space of time – it’s really exciting.”

Chef Clare Smyth, who visited the kitchen for the first time with Meghan, said: “If everyone took care of their community like this there would be no issues in the world.”

Ms Smith said Meghan had spoken with passion about the kitchen.

“She’s really into food, she’s a real foodie.”

The Duchess will also learn about some of the planned new outreach projects at the kitchen, which will be funded by proceeds from Together: Our Community Cookbook.

Together it has sold more than 40,000 copies in the UK and raised £210,000 so far in the seven weeks since it went on sale.

It sold tens of thousands more in international sales but they haven’t got an accurate figure for those yet.

They set out to raise £250,000 to renovate the kitchen and open it seven days a week so reckon they will easily surpass that, especially with Christmas coming up.

A royal aide said Meghan would continue to work with the women but declined to say whether this might be the start of a wider, nationwide project.

She said: “It’s too early to say yet but she will continue to visit here. This project will always have a special place in her heart.”

It comes after the US actress revealed her surprising friendship with Michael Buble after meeting him at a dinner party.

The Duchess of Sussex met the king of Christmas at a meal hosted by her stylist BFF Jessica Mulroney, 38, and husband Ben, 42, in November 2015.

Meghan revealed she was still friendly with the singer – who she met while filming Suits in Canada between 2011 and 2017.