The Duchess of Sussex’s first solo project as a member of the royal family has been announced – supporting the publication of a community cookbook helping Grenfell families and others.

Meghan has written the foreword to the new book produced by cooks from the Hubb Community Kitchen, an initiative based near the site of the Grenfell tower in London.

The duchess says in her foreword for Together: Our Community Cookbook: “I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together.

“Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy – in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy – something we can all relate to…

“Through this charitable endeavour, the proceeds will allow the kitchen to thrive and keep the global spirit of community alive.”

The duchess first visited the kitchen in January and has made a number other private trips to the centre to meet volunteers and learn more about their work.

Meghan cooking
Meghan got stuck in to the preparations (Jenny Zarins/PA)

Some of the recipes are family favourites and all have been created by the cooks who support not only residents affected by the Grenfell fire but others in the community.

Meghan helped put the group in touch with a publisher and her Royal Foundation provided assistance with legal and administrative issues.

The community cook book)
The book is called Together – Our Community Kitchen (Ebury Press/Jenny Zarins/PA)

All proceeds will go back to the Hubb and the book will be available in stores this week.

In the introduction, the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen write: “Our kitchen has always been a place of good food, love, support and friendship.

“We cook the recipes we’ve grown up with; there’s no stress, and the recipes always work because they have been made so many times – it’s proper comfort food…”

The dishes described in the book are the women’s own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

The Royal Foundation is administering the transfer of funds from the sale of the book to the Hubb Community Kitchen and related projects.