our story

The Great Oven has been building giant community ovens and sending them to places of need for over two years – to refugee camps, war-torn communities, and inner cities in crisis. Born in Tripoli, Northern Lebanon and operational in the refugee camps of the Bekaa Valley throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our work is also responsive to the continued and devastating impact of the Beirut Blast.

Our work in Lebanon is headquartered in Beirut. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, we found a home in a disused music venue badly impacted by the blast. With the help of our volunteers, a dancefloor became a community kitchen and a terrace an art studio where ovens were decorated. Each day our walls would vibrate with the music of guest DJs and fellow residents, Radio Alhara. In 2021, the Great Oven moved into its very own space, a hub for all of our Lebanon activity and a safe space for marginalised and displaced people to share in the joy of food, music and art.