Dinner for Ukraine
Hosted by Jamie Oliver at Jamie Oliver HQ
You are going to get to try some very authentic Ukrainian food. — Jamie Oliver
No more beautiful way to speak out against the war than through food. — Alissa Timoshkina
After drinks on arrival, shown to our tables, Jamie Oliver welcomed everyone and explained Cook For Ukraine. He then passed over to Alissa Timoshkina and Olia Hercules co-founders of Cook for Ukraine.
Cook for Ukraine was founded by Alissa Timoshkina and Olia Hercules, with the help of Clerkenwell Boy.
Their aim was to celebrate Ukrainian and Eastern European food while raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis facing Ukraine as well as emergency funds.
Alissa Timoshkina expanded on the founding of Cook for Ukraine.
Olia Hercules gave an emotional account of relatives in Ukraine and her fear for their safety.
Dinner for Ukraine a fundraiser for Cook for Ukraine.
By the side of each invited guest, a menu and cutlery wrapped in a yellow or blue ribbon.
The food prepared by Jamie Oliver and a Ukrainian chef Yurii Kovryzhenko, served by a team of willing helpers, all volunteers.
On the table a large plate of fermented vegetables. Help yourself, washed down with Dima’s vodka, a three-grain Ukrainian vodka.
Followed by soup, borsch, a beetroot soup.
Followed by slow-roast belly pork served with new potatoes.
Followed by dessert, dumpling filled with I think apricots, together with cream and raspberries.
Part way through the dinner, a lottery draw, with prizes which included a complete set of signed Jamie Oliver cookbooks. Myself and my guest twice missed by one number, then me by two.
I have never tried Ukrainian food before, I had no idea what to expect, the names meant nothing. Would I even like?
Menus wrapped in ribbons, alternated blue and yellow along the table and across the table.
The food was amazing. As was the white wine and vodka.
Special thanks to Jamie for an amazing evening, excellent food, and to all his willing helpers, who volunteered their time for free.
I had spoken to Jamie earlier, I have an idea. We like ideas, we must discuss later, but sadly did not see later to discuss or to explain the idea.
Last year I met Mad Heads, a coffee roastery in Kyiv, at the Limassol Coffee Festival in Cyprus. Excellent coffee. I had been in contact with them recently.
Yes, they can ship coffee from Ukraine to the UK.
I would ask, please talk to your local specialty coffee shop. Would they like to stock and serve Mad Heads as guest coffee?
