From 22 October to 4 November, JW3’s celebrated kosher restaurant Zest, in partnership with World Jewish Relief, will be turning yellow and blue as a celebration of all things Ukrainian. The Taste of Ukraine extravaganza is being held to coincide with Liberation Day in Ukraine on 28^th October.

Taste of Ukraine will give visitors the opportunity to step inside a 4D virtual reality (VR) experience at Zest. Guests will be able to watch a VR film which gives people a unique insight into the work of World Jewish Relief, whilst experiencing the devastating Ukrainian winter.

The whole of Zest will be decked out as a Ukrainian restaurant, with a specially devised menu featuring Borsht, Chicken Kiev and potato latkes! £2 from each diner’s meal will be added to bills as a voluntary donation supporting World Jewish Relief’s work in Eastern Europe helping the world’s poorest Jewish communities. Additional donations are welcome.

Often referred to as the “breadbasket of Europe”, Ukrainian cuisine is heavily based on wheat and grains. The majority of Ukrainian dishes descend from ancient peasant dishes based on plentiful grain resources such as rye as well as staple vegetables such as potato, cabbages, mushrooms and beetroots. The kosher menu will build upon that traditional whilst offering its own twist.

Taste of Ukraine follows the successful Taste of Syria partnership held between Zest and World Jewish Relief in 2017. Running from 22 October – 4 November, it will be open Monday to Thursday and every Sunday.

Book your Taste of Ukraine experience.

Rafi Cooper, Director of Communications, World Jewish Relief, said:

“Over the last few years, the situation in Ukraine has been more basket case than bread basket. The civil war continues in the East and approximately 1 million people are still internally displaced. Our work is vital, supporting older people who have often been left lonely, isolated and unsupported by devalued pensions and a society not set up to support them, whilst their children face unprecedented economic turbulence, struggling to find employment.

Taste of Ukraine will enable us to raise vital funds to mean that the world’s poorest Jewish communities do not go hungry, whilst giving diners at Zest a unique gastronomic insight into the country.”

Raymond Simonson, Chief Executive, JW3, said:

“As the UK’s premier Jewish Community Centre, we love to find ways to celebrate the vastly diverse heritage of British Jewry. So many members of our community have roots within Eastern Europe and therefore Taste of Ukraine is for many a taste of what their relatives only a couple of generations ago would have eaten.

We’re proud to be partnering again with World Jewish Relief, highlighting their important work in Ukraine, which is putting food on people’s tables. Having built a reputation with our restaurant Zest for bringing the best of modern Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine to the Jewish community and wider, our chefs are now excited to create this temporary menu inspired by the flavours of Ukraine”.