The Power of Family Recipes to Help Lebanese Mothers Reclaim Their Futures

“The chaos didn't hinder us – it amplified our urgency. These stories couldn't wait.”

Lebanon is facing a crisis. Over a million people – mostly mothers and children – have been displaced, their homes shattered, their livelihoods disrupted, at times feeling abandoned by the rest of the world. In the midst of the ongoing conflict, dairy brand Puck and FP7 McCann have allied themselves with Lebanese mothers, offering them a sustainable source of financial support and a way to leave an international legacy.

Honouring the community values of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, the ‘Recipe for Change’ campaign has seen local Lebanese women train international chefs to cook their treasured family recipes – transforming them into a means for economic empowerment. 

By dining at participating restaurants, people from around the world can help support Lebanon, with all campaign proceeds directly helping affected families rebuild their lives. Each dish is served on a bespoke plate inspired by the personal journeys of the mothers behind the meals, with QR codes to unlock their full stories.

The campaign builds on Puck’s prior work in the region, with initiatives like ‘Selfless Shelves’ – which enabled Lebanese women to produce and sell preserves internationally – having resulted in a 300% income boost and global recognition.

LBB’s Zara Naseer spoke with FP7 McCann CCO, Federico Fanti, and Puck senior brand manager, Ghida Amhaz, to hear the behind-the-scenes story of filming in active conflict zones, helping Lebanese mothers reclaim their dignity, and turning sympathy into admiration.

LBB> Talk us through the origins of the ‘Recipe for Change’ concept.

Federico> As with any great idea, it all started with a brief. Puck wanted a Ramadan campaign that went beyond the usual – something that truly reflected their purpose as an honest ally to mothers. Instead of following the predictable advertising formula, we set out to create something that felt real, urgent, and deeply human.

Lebanon’s crisis left 1.3 million people displaced, but amid the devastation, we found a story of resilience: mothers holding onto their most precious inheritance – their recipes. While Lebanese cuisine is celebrated worldwide, the women behind these culinary traditions were struggling to feed their own families. We saw an opportunity: their recipes weren’t just meals; they were cultural legacies, economic assets, and untapped sources of empowerment.

Taking inspiration from our ‘Selfless Shelves’ initiative, we created a new model – partnering with restaurants from Dubai to Sydney to feature these mothers’ dishes on Iftar menus. This wasn’t charity; it was a way to turn tradition into economic strength. Dishes like Feryal’s Kibbeh Batata and Ibtihaj’s Zenkol weren’t just food – they were symbols of dignity and financial independence.

At its core, ‘Recipe for Change’ is about transforming loss into opportunity. By sharing these women’s recipes, we weren’t just putting food on tables – we were putting power back into their hands. One dish at a time.

LBB> How did you go about finding the Lebanese women who are involved in the campaign?

Federico> We partnered with Anthony Rahayel, a culinary influencer whose passion for Lebanese cuisine runs as deep as the country's roots. With extraordinary courage, he ventured into conflict zones, seeking not just recipes, but the remarkable women behind them. Our search wasn't about finding the most interesting recipes, but also the equally resilient spirits.

We discovered women like Nada, who continued cooking amid rubble-strewn kitchens, and Fidaa, who fled her patisserie but refused to abandon her culinary heritage. Each woman represented more than a recipe – she embodied Lebanon's unbreakable spirit despite everything. Some had never left their villages, yet their stories were about to travel globally, transcending geographical boundaries through the universal language of food.

LBB> And how did they respond when you told them about the idea? What does it mean to them?

Federico> Their reactions were a beautiful mixture of disbelief and profound hope. For women who had lost nearly everything – homes, businesses, stability – suddenly having their recipes featured in international restaurants felt like a miraculous rebirth. Many had never traveled beyond their local regions, and now their culinary traditions would fly halfway around the world.

Ibtihaj, who once ran a restaurant, saw this as a chance to get her life's work back on track. Feryal, who had sold her jewellery to survive, found a new form of dignity. These weren't just recipes being shared; they were pieces of their souls, their memories, their resilience – now becoming a source of economic empowerment at a time they needed it most.

LBB> Why was it important to you to launch this campaign during the month of Ramadan?

Federico> Ramadan represents more than a religious observance – it's a profound testament to community, generosity, and human connection. In a time when Lebanese mothers are navigating unprecedented challenges, we saw an opportunity to transform the traditional narrative of Ramadan campaigns with a little help from the world.

This holy month is about breaking bread, sharing stories, and supporting one another. By launching ‘Recipe for Change’ during Ramadan, we created a model where compassion became tangible. Each meal ordered wasn't just sustenance – it was an act of solidarity. Diners worldwide could literally taste Lebanese culture while supporting families rebuilding their lives.

The timing was deliberate: a period traditionally marked by reflection and giving became a powerful vehicle for genuine, sustainable support. We transformed the ritual of sharing food into a movement of hope, allowing people to be generous in the most meaningful way possible at the time when it matters most. 

LBB> How did you use AI to design the bespoke plates?

Federico> We used AI as a starting point, but humanity remained our true design tool. We prompted the technology to capture iconic Lebanese landscapes, featuring displaced mothers from different regions who had lost everything except their most treasured possession: their recipes.

However, recognising AI's limitations in capturing nuanced human experiences, we then meticulously illustrated the plates by hand. This human touch was crucial – ensuring that each plate told an authentic story, preserving the delicate emotional landscape these women navigated.

LBB> How did you navigate putting together a campaign like this in the middle of a humanitarian crisis?

Federico> Filming in active conflict zones was extraordinarily challenging. Some locations became unexpectedly dangerous, forcing rapid adaptations on the day. However, our production crew's flexibility wasn't just professional – it was heroic. We were capturing more than a campaign; we were documenting intellectual property that would immortalise these women's experiences, so we had to get it right to give it justice. 

The chaos didn't hinder us – it amplified our urgency. These stories couldn't wait. Every moment of filming was a testament to human resilience, with safety and respect as our primary considerations. The unpredictability of the environment became part of our narrative, reflecting the very spirit of the women we were celebrating.

LBB> What tone were you looking to strike with the film element?

Federico> First, a heartfelt thank you to our director, Elie Fahed, whose passion and vision were the driving force behind these stories. Having previously directed our ‘Selfless Shelves’ campaign, Elie brought the same raw yet poetic storytelling to ‘Recipe for Change’. Every frame – weathered hands kneading dough, whispered memories of lost homes, bursts of laughter over coffee – captured the delicate dance between hardship and hope.

We weren’t after pity; we were after respect. This wasn’t a sob story – it was a tribute. A celebration of resilience. These films don’t just tell the stories of these women; they honour them. They transform sympathy into something far more powerful: admiration.

LBB> What was the trickiest part of carrying out this initiative?

Federico> Synchronising a Ramadan campaign across multiple global restaurants, diverse mothers, and different time zones was a logistical symphony. Every touchpoint – from menus to plates, from delivery apps to marketing materials – had to honour these women's stories with absolute precision and care.

But our most significant challenge wasn't technical – it was emotional. We needed to ensure the women had true ownership. Their names adorned menus with their signatures displayed for the world to see, while their faces were on posters. This wasn't just Puck's campaign – it was their campaign, their story, their path to reclaiming dignity.

LBB> How have you created a recipe for lasting change? How are you measuring its impact?

Federico> ‘Recipe for Change’ isn't just a campaign – it's a global blueprint for transforming empathy into action. We've created a replicable model that can be adapted in any region where conflict displaces women with recipes. Because the future of marketing isn't about selling; it's about solving.

Success isn't measured in monetary terms alone, but in restored dignity, in economic opportunities created, in cultural heritage preserved. By turning these mothers' most intimate traditions into a sustainable economic model, we're proving that the most powerful innovations are fundamentally human at heart. 

LBB> Ghida, how does this campaign align with Puck’s overarching brand mission? 

Ghida> Puck understands the vital role of female empowerment in society and is deeply committed to supporting mothers. For years, we have been a true ally to mothers, highlighting the vital role they have in their households and society as a whole. As a purpose-driven brand, we strive to create meaningful impact and drive positive change. Recipe for Change embodies this mission, celebrating the culinary traditions of remarkable Lebanese mothers while supporting families in need.

This initiative builds on the success of ‘Selfless Shelves’, a campaign launched last year in which we gave up our retail shelf space to allow mothers to showcase and sell their products – helping them generate income and support their families in the wake of the unemployment crisis.

At Puck, we remain steadfast in our commitment to being a true ally to mothers across the region, driving meaningful change, and supporting women’s well-being every step of the way.