Breads from Ukraine and Eastern Europe

This event takes place at the British Library.

Eastern Europe has an enduring history of producing beautiful breads from the many grains that grow across its lands. This is an opportunity to find out more about their cultural and political significance, hear stories of how they are made in the communities of the region, and, crucially, to taste some of the breads.

With Ukrainian food-writer Olia Hercules, food anthropologist Katrina Kollegaeva who runs Rosehip and Rye and Elisabeth Luard, who has extensively chronicled the food traditions of Eastern Europe.

This event is part of the British Library Food Season 2023.

Half Price tickets available for British Library Members, Students, Under 26s and other concession groups.

Olia Hercules was born in Ukraine and forged a career as a chef in the UK. She is the author of the award-winning cookbooks Mamushka, Kaukasis and Summer Kitchens. Her most recent book, Summer Kitchens, was shortlisted for all the major food awards: the Andre Simon, The Guild of Food Writers’ and the Fortnum and Mason cookbook awards.

Katrina (Katya) Kollegaeva is a food anthropologist, a writer (The Guardian, FT, Olive, Time Out) and a cook. Born in Estonia to a Russian dad from Crimea and a Ukrainian mother, she came to London having just turned 19 by herself to claim asylum. Having worked at the Soil Association for 10 years, she co-founded a supperclub in her flat in North London to explore the food of Eastern Europe. The project grew to become a catering business Rosehip and Rye, who she now co-runs with Karina Baldry. In 2020 Katya with R+R kick started a campaign to promote rye bread and rye more generally. Together with Olia Hercules, Real Bread Campaign, Karaway bakery and the iconic Bread Lab the event explored the cultural, historical and nutritional wonders of this underappreciated grain.

Elisabeth Luard is an award-winning food writer, illustrator and broadcaster. She has lived and worked in Latin America, Spain, Italy, France and a remote valley in Andalucia. Cookbooks include European Peasant Cookery and Preserving, Pickling and Potting. Memoirs-with-recipes include Family Life, My Life as A Wife, and Squirrel Pie. After 25 years in the wilds of Wales, when she contributed the food-pages to Country Living, she now lives in West London, has a column in The Oldie magazine and sometimes contributes to Femail in the Daily Mail. She has just retired after six years as Chair of The Oxford Food Symposium.

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This event will not be live-streamed.

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