Food is our language, a source of connection and comfort.
Our story
This project was born out of our fundraising campaign #CookforUkraine. Launched just 48 hours after Russia attacked Ukraine in Feb 2022, the fundraising initiative was awarded a prestigious Champions of Change prize from the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards in June 2022. This award is what enabled us to start the project. Ever since we started #CookforUkraine we knew we wanted to continue our work by building a community through food. Spreading the word about Ukrainian food culture and offering a sense of togetherness to those displaced by the war. Ukraine Hub does just that!
About us
Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina met 15 years ago as MA students at the arts faculty of the Queen Mary University in London. After graduating they have worked together in cultural events and film. Their love of cooking and family histories inspired them, in their own ways, to change their careers towards a professional life in food. Olia published her debut cookbook Mamushka while Alissa launched her supper-club & events company KinoVino in 2015. Since then they have cooked together and hosted many dinning experiences and fundraising events. In 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine, the two friends initiated a fundraising campaign #CookforUkraine, which has raised over £2.2M for Ukraine. Ukraine Hub is their latest joint project.
How it works
Ukraine Hub is a pilot cookery school and a creative community space offering cookery classes and arts&crafts activities to Ukrainians in London displaced by the war as well as to anyone and everyone else who would like to be part of our community. All classes and events are free to Ukrainian refugees and ticketed for the rest of the attendees.
The pilot programme ran over the months of June - Aug 2023, and we are not working on a new season of events to start in 2024!
We’d like to thank everyone who made this pilot possible and look forward to launching our new programme next year!
“Ukraine Hub is a space that provides a sense of home, is a source of community, and a platform for new life skills for all Ukrainian refugees, like my mother, here in London.”
- Olia Hercules, project’s co-founder
Make a donation.
As a charity project Ukraine Hub relies on your kind support so that we can continue to deliver free classes and community events for Ukrainians in London displaced by the war. We are truly grateful for your support, no matter the amount.