July always makes me think of yam. Not just any yam, the New Yam.

If you’re Nigerian, you already know. That sacred tuber that gets a full festival of its own.

Across Nigeria, where we’ve got over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages, each one has its own way of celebrating, singing, dancing, and of course, cooking.

But among them all, the New Yam Festival stands tall. It’s especially big in the South-East and Middle Belt regions among the Igbo, Idoma, Tiv, and other yam-loving communities.

Right after the harvest season, it feels like a carnival. People dress in bright traditional outfits, drummers show off their rhythm, dancers spin and leap with joy, and the smell of yam dishes fills the air.

And we love our yam. Yam in Nigeria is like potatoes in the UK, only better (we’ll argue that any day!). You can fry it, boil it with stew, roast it, make yam porridge, or the king of all: pounded yam with soup.

Serve a guest pounded yam, and you’re not just feeding them, you’re honouring them with a royal delicacy.

Now, working and living in Edinburgh, I sometimes miss that buzz. The sound, the colours, the food. But every so often, something unexpected brings it all rushing back, from the Edinburgh Festival to the LTW Charity Bake Sale.

I joined the University of Edinburgh in February 2024, as part of the ISG team. It hasn’t been long, but after attending my first bake sale last year, I felt like I’d been here for years.

I connected with so many people from different teams. It reminded me so much of home.

People from different backgrounds brought sweet treats from their cultures. There were cakes I couldn’t even pronounce and flavours I’d never tasted, but everything came with a smile and a story.

Honestly, I felt like a child lost in a candy shop. My only mission was to taste every cake!

That first bake sale brought people together. Whether you were new or had been around for a while, you felt part of the ISG community, just like at the New Yam Festival.

Food broke the ice, started conversations, and built friendships. No pressure, just “What’s this called?” or “Did you bake this?” and just like that, you’re chatting like old friends.

Now, the July bake sale is here again, and I can’t wait. This will be my second, and I already know it’ll be just as heartwarming.

The ISG team is wonderfully diverse, and within Learning, Teaching and Web (LTW), we have a lovely habit of celebrating culture through food.

Sounds familiar, right?

In Nigeria, we say: the people who eat together, stay together. It’s true. Whether it’s yam with spicy soup or a slice of sponge cake, food is the ultimate bridge. And hunger or appetite, is a universal language. Across cultures, across teams, across oceans.

So if you love to bake, or just love to eat like me, come join the LTW Bake Sale! The delicious treats will be inspired by favourite films and TV shows of the people baking them.

And with every bite, you’ll be helping raise funds for an NHS Blood and Transplant Charity Fund.

So come along, I’ll be looking out to have a chat with you and hear about your favourite cake or food.

I wonder, will someone bake a Pink Panther cake? Or maybe a Black Panther one?

Why Food Is the Ultimate Bridge: A Tale of Two Cultures / Diary of a Project Manager by is licensed under a