'Cooking is my love language': Twin Cities restauranteur gives food and supplies for earthquake relief in Turkey
Some of the food packed into a rental van by Twin Cities chef Brian Ingram, who flew to Turkey to help feed earthquake victims and relief workers.
Courtesy of Brian Ingram
A St. Paul restauranteur arrived in Turkey’s earthquake zone yesterday with a truckful of food, tents and propane stoves.
Brian Ingram owns the Gnome Craft Pub and Hope Breakfast Bar. He planned to set up a mobile kitchen to provide some relief to those who have survived the earthquake near the Syrian border.
But when he got there, the scale of the disaster caused him to shift his response. He joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the experience.
Ingram said donations to his charity’s website will help fund his earthquake relief work. He also recommended supporting efforts by World Central Kitchen and Convoy of Hope.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: A Saint Paul restaurant owner is in Turkey today with a truck full of food, and tents, and propane stoves so he can provide some relief to those who have survived the earthquake near the Syrian border. Brian Ingram owns the Gnome Craft Pub and Hope Breakfast Bar in Saint Paul. NPR news reporter Tim Nelson talked with him just after he had loaded the truck and was headed to his destination.
BRIAN INGRAM: We jumped on a plane, got in on Saturday night, shopped all day Sunday for our mobile food kitchen. Our goal is to get this mobile food kitchen set up, and keep it going long term. We know that the needs are going to be long after we're able to stay here.
CATHY WURZER: Brian spent the day setting up his mobile kitchen. We wanted to check in on how that went and what's going on. Brian's on the line. Thanks, Brian Ingram for joining us.
BRIAN INGRAM: Thanks for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Where are you right now? What's happening today?
BRIAN INGRAM: We drove last night most of the way to Iskenderun, which is real close to the Syrian border. We came in this morning, and we had partnered with a very small, local church that was here in the area. But like all things during this disaster, some things had to change on the fly, and so the pastor of the church here actually-- him and his wife lost their lives during the earthquake here, and so we had an interim pastor that we were working with, but his mom's building fell, so he had to leave today.
So the new leader of the church, and we were able to actually donate everything that we had bought over the last three days to them so they can really focus on their outreach. They're really doing the outreach to all the villages around Iskenderun with some giant kind of tent cities that are popping up here right now that are being-- food insecurities they're being taken care of right here in the main kind of city, so we gave them everything.
And so now, we just jump back in the car and we're going to head back to Istanbul, and start game planning again what our next steps is, and how we can keep this kitchen going long term.
CATHY WURZER: Can you, in any way, describe the damage that you've seen?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah. I mean, it's pretty, I guess, eerie is the way to say it. I think, just the shock of what had happened and just the destruction of the buildings is crazy to see. You can go on Google Maps, and you look at what the building looked like a week ago, and it was a 12-story building that's now reduced to rubble.
Today, we were just looking at one in particular that there was just so many rescue workers that were there yesterday. They had pulled three people that were still alive from the rubble, so they're definitely still working. There are survivors. They're trying to get to those. So when you see a city block that has just been floored, it's pretty surreal to look at.
CATHY WURZER: Have you had any chance to do-- I know you've been very busy and I know you gave a lot of your supplies to the church. Have you done any cooking at all at this point?
BRIAN INGRAM: Well, I actually-- it's crazy to think that was our main reason was going to be cooking. And right now, I think what we're better use for right now is actually supplying them with the things for them to cook and for them to be able to do this long term.
So we're just being willing to pivot at any minute. They tell us what their needs are, and that's what we're going to do. So again, we could only be here for a week or 10 days, whatever it may be, but these folks are going to be here for the long term, so how do we best support them to make sure that their set for the long term?
CATHY WURZER: Before we talk a little bit about that, I'm curious about the decision to go there. I mean, do you have ties to the region? I know you've traveled to Turkey in the past, but what spurred you to hop on a plane and go?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so we partnered actually with our local church out of the Twin Cities River Valley and helped with this gospel culture cafe in Istanbul about two years ago, and just fell in love with the people in this area. And as soon as we heard about the earthquake, we knew that we had to get over here and do whatever it took to help with that.
We have members of the cafe that have so many family members who are here. One of our good friends over here, Fariq, has seven family members in the area that he's had no contact with, and one of the buildings that they were in actually collapsed, so he fears that all seven are gone.
So for us, we definitely have ties here. We definitely have love for the people, and we just-- our nonprofit my wife had just started a couple of years ago during COVID was Give Hope, and it was for food insecurities. And I think that was just our call to action was, what would I do if I lived here and I couldn't feed my family? What steps would I take to be able to feed them? And we just want to help with that, whatever that means.
CATHY WURZER: Mhm. So it sounds like the mobile kitchen idea is not exactly working the way you thought it might, but that's-- as you say, you're pivoting right now. So is that maybe where your action might be is to get the supplies needed for folks to take care of themselves?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so the mobile kitchen will still happen. We just-- I just won't be cooking. And for me, it was difficult today. When we got here, I said, well, let's just take the stoves that we'll set up right here on the sidewalk, and we'll just start cooking right here, right now. And it's just not possible when you have the desperation and the needs that are here. If you just open up the kitchen somewhere, that could get overran by [INAUDIBLE] things going to happen that you can't control.
So they're being very measured on how they do it. So the mobile kitchen will get open. I just won't be behind the stove cooking. And for me, cooking is my love language, so that broke my heart a bit that I wouldn't be cooking, but that doesn't change anything really. We still have food that we have to buy. We still have supplies that we have to take care of.
I actually left my knife bag-- and for a chef, that's probably like leaving your wedding ring-- and gave them all of my knives that I've had my entire chef life and left that for them to cut vegetables, and do all the things that they're going to need to do. And that's just what needs to be done right now is just giving them the stuff to do this kitchen long term.
CATHY WURZER: You're kind of doing earthquake relief on your own terms here with your own money. How can people support you and your work?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so we have our nonprofit. It's called Give Hope, and give hope and then if then .org if you want to join us on this effort. We'd appreciate anything. There's also Convoy of Hope that's out here and World Kitchen. We're all just trying to do as much as we can. And when you think about 40,000 deaths in this area is what they're saying publicly, they're saying that that number is probably going to triple, and it's going to be over 100,000 lost lives.
And when you just think about that sheer magnitude, 7,000 buildings, so where are these people sleeping tonight? Where are they-- and it's cold here. I mean, we drove through snow, and it's freezing, and you see little kids with no shoes and no socks, and all of that. The needs are going to be here for a long time to come, and I think the number is going to be staggering when it's all said and done.
CATHY WURZER: Brian Ingram, I appreciate your time. Thank you so very much, and best of luck, and thanks for what you're doing.
BRIAN INGRAM: All right. Thank you guys so much for just helping us with the awareness of what's going on.
CATHY WURZER: We just heard from Brian Ingram, the owner of Hope Breakfast Bar and The Gnome Craft Bar in Saint Paul. He is in Turkey trying to help feed people who were displaced by the earthquake in Southern Turkey. You can find more information on how to help with this effort on our website, mprnews.org.
BRIAN INGRAM: We jumped on a plane, got in on Saturday night, shopped all day Sunday for our mobile food kitchen. Our goal is to get this mobile food kitchen set up, and keep it going long term. We know that the needs are going to be long after we're able to stay here.
CATHY WURZER: Brian spent the day setting up his mobile kitchen. We wanted to check in on how that went and what's going on. Brian's on the line. Thanks, Brian Ingram for joining us.
BRIAN INGRAM: Thanks for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Where are you right now? What's happening today?
BRIAN INGRAM: We drove last night most of the way to Iskenderun, which is real close to the Syrian border. We came in this morning, and we had partnered with a very small, local church that was here in the area. But like all things during this disaster, some things had to change on the fly, and so the pastor of the church here actually-- him and his wife lost their lives during the earthquake here, and so we had an interim pastor that we were working with, but his mom's building fell, so he had to leave today.
So the new leader of the church, and we were able to actually donate everything that we had bought over the last three days to them so they can really focus on their outreach. They're really doing the outreach to all the villages around Iskenderun with some giant kind of tent cities that are popping up here right now that are being-- food insecurities they're being taken care of right here in the main kind of city, so we gave them everything.
And so now, we just jump back in the car and we're going to head back to Istanbul, and start game planning again what our next steps is, and how we can keep this kitchen going long term.
CATHY WURZER: Can you, in any way, describe the damage that you've seen?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah. I mean, it's pretty, I guess, eerie is the way to say it. I think, just the shock of what had happened and just the destruction of the buildings is crazy to see. You can go on Google Maps, and you look at what the building looked like a week ago, and it was a 12-story building that's now reduced to rubble.
Today, we were just looking at one in particular that there was just so many rescue workers that were there yesterday. They had pulled three people that were still alive from the rubble, so they're definitely still working. There are survivors. They're trying to get to those. So when you see a city block that has just been floored, it's pretty surreal to look at.
CATHY WURZER: Have you had any chance to do-- I know you've been very busy and I know you gave a lot of your supplies to the church. Have you done any cooking at all at this point?
BRIAN INGRAM: Well, I actually-- it's crazy to think that was our main reason was going to be cooking. And right now, I think what we're better use for right now is actually supplying them with the things for them to cook and for them to be able to do this long term.
So we're just being willing to pivot at any minute. They tell us what their needs are, and that's what we're going to do. So again, we could only be here for a week or 10 days, whatever it may be, but these folks are going to be here for the long term, so how do we best support them to make sure that their set for the long term?
CATHY WURZER: Before we talk a little bit about that, I'm curious about the decision to go there. I mean, do you have ties to the region? I know you've traveled to Turkey in the past, but what spurred you to hop on a plane and go?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so we partnered actually with our local church out of the Twin Cities River Valley and helped with this gospel culture cafe in Istanbul about two years ago, and just fell in love with the people in this area. And as soon as we heard about the earthquake, we knew that we had to get over here and do whatever it took to help with that.
We have members of the cafe that have so many family members who are here. One of our good friends over here, Fariq, has seven family members in the area that he's had no contact with, and one of the buildings that they were in actually collapsed, so he fears that all seven are gone.
So for us, we definitely have ties here. We definitely have love for the people, and we just-- our nonprofit my wife had just started a couple of years ago during COVID was Give Hope, and it was for food insecurities. And I think that was just our call to action was, what would I do if I lived here and I couldn't feed my family? What steps would I take to be able to feed them? And we just want to help with that, whatever that means.
CATHY WURZER: Mhm. So it sounds like the mobile kitchen idea is not exactly working the way you thought it might, but that's-- as you say, you're pivoting right now. So is that maybe where your action might be is to get the supplies needed for folks to take care of themselves?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so the mobile kitchen will still happen. We just-- I just won't be cooking. And for me, it was difficult today. When we got here, I said, well, let's just take the stoves that we'll set up right here on the sidewalk, and we'll just start cooking right here, right now. And it's just not possible when you have the desperation and the needs that are here. If you just open up the kitchen somewhere, that could get overran by [INAUDIBLE] things going to happen that you can't control.
So they're being very measured on how they do it. So the mobile kitchen will get open. I just won't be behind the stove cooking. And for me, cooking is my love language, so that broke my heart a bit that I wouldn't be cooking, but that doesn't change anything really. We still have food that we have to buy. We still have supplies that we have to take care of.
I actually left my knife bag-- and for a chef, that's probably like leaving your wedding ring-- and gave them all of my knives that I've had my entire chef life and left that for them to cut vegetables, and do all the things that they're going to need to do. And that's just what needs to be done right now is just giving them the stuff to do this kitchen long term.
CATHY WURZER: You're kind of doing earthquake relief on your own terms here with your own money. How can people support you and your work?
BRIAN INGRAM: Yeah, so we have our nonprofit. It's called Give Hope, and give hope and then if then .org if you want to join us on this effort. We'd appreciate anything. There's also Convoy of Hope that's out here and World Kitchen. We're all just trying to do as much as we can. And when you think about 40,000 deaths in this area is what they're saying publicly, they're saying that that number is probably going to triple, and it's going to be over 100,000 lost lives.
And when you just think about that sheer magnitude, 7,000 buildings, so where are these people sleeping tonight? Where are they-- and it's cold here. I mean, we drove through snow, and it's freezing, and you see little kids with no shoes and no socks, and all of that. The needs are going to be here for a long time to come, and I think the number is going to be staggering when it's all said and done.
CATHY WURZER: Brian Ingram, I appreciate your time. Thank you so very much, and best of luck, and thanks for what you're doing.
BRIAN INGRAM: All right. Thank you guys so much for just helping us with the awareness of what's going on.
CATHY WURZER: We just heard from Brian Ingram, the owner of Hope Breakfast Bar and The Gnome Craft Bar in Saint Paul. He is in Turkey trying to help feed people who were displaced by the earthquake in Southern Turkey. You can find more information on how to help with this effort on our website, mprnews.org.
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