ROSE Hill’s African Women’s Group served up a feast of food from Gambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Namibia as they cooked for elderly neighbours.

More than 18 pensioners from the estate were treated to a delicious dish of jerk chicken, jollof rice and plantain followed by a creamy Gambian coconut couscous dessert.

A team of women from the group started cooking at 9am on Friday to serve up lunch to a hungry crowd at sheltered housing complex Alice and Margaret House in Desborough Crescent, who wolfed down seconds.

Tasting her first African meal 87-year-old Irene Pladdys, from Nowell Road, said: “It was lovely and such a surprise that it wasn’t spicy.”

And 65-year-old Delphreen Hastings, from Desborough Crescent, was also a fan. She said: “Its really nice to try new dishes from different countries. I haven’t had anything like it before. The ladies have done an excellent job, it has been brilliant.”

Comfort Otunba, who was one of the cooks who helped to put on the lunch, said: “People always ask me about my jollof rice and want to know how to make it. I give them my phone number so that they can find out.”

Normalisa Chasokela from Rose Hill said: “The dishes we chose to make are from different parts of Africa. The people have been interested and asking lots of questions. We’ve toned down the spice today because of the older folk – but normally African food is like ‘bang!’”

Rose Hill Community Worker Fran Gardner said: “What we want to get over is again it’s food that brings diverse communities together.”