Did you miss out on the #KFWE16? Save the date and book early for 2017!
This year Brittany and I were lucky enough to attend the sold-out Kosher Food & Wine Event at the beautiful art-deco Sheraton Hotel on Park Lane. In the lead up to the event, we had watched the amazing videos of similar events held all over the world and were very intrigued for what was to come.
I will admit to not knowing a huge amount about the Jewish culture or the kosher practice in general, so I was excited to experience kosher wine and to learn more about the culture behind it…
After checking in, we were able to appreciate the full-scale of the event, and it was incredible. Two floors of delicious kosher food (sushi! chocolates!) and yummy wines to sample.
Our first stop, funnily enough, was Glenfiddich whiskey: and who could blame us?!? We were able to try 150 year old whiskey, which at £300 a bottle is a bit outside our normal experience. What was noticeable with the older whiskeys was how much smoother they were in comparisons to ones we had tried before.
After freshening up in the bathrooms – which were amazing – we headed to the food area. The buffet was all down to Arieh Wagner, who are a kosher catering company based in London. The sushi was a huge hit, as well as duck pancakes and some lovely vegetarian paninis. The atmosphere felt like a place where people were catching up with old friends, rather than that of an industry gathering.
After devouring some amazing macarons and dairy-free chocolate desserts (the vegans in my life are going to benefit from my new kosher knowledge), we headed down to the beverage floor, and it was heaving. I am not really a red wine drinker, so I was delighted to find a good rose – the Baron Herzog – which is available in Waitrose. It had really bright strawberry notes and was a perfect choice for my sweet tooth. Speaking of sweet tooth – we then headed to the Walders stand. Walders do dairy free creamy alcohol (think diary free baileys) and I was impressed with and enjoyed the pina colada’s as well as the after-dinner mint liqueur. To be honest, anything with chocolate in it is a winner for me. Which is why I was delighted to find some amazing Walders chocolates as well.
The type of wine on offer were mostly varieties of red and I deferred to Brittany to sample those. She said that a lot of the wines were very heavy on tannins and would work well with heavier meals. There were smoother reds available, but the Kosher market seemed to entice a more intense flavour. She added that they paired nicely with paninis.
This event was a real eye opener for me. I enjoyed the hospitality, the chance to try something new and to learn a bit more about a different culture. Now that I know where I can get more of that strawberry-flavoured rose from Baron Herzog, I will be sure to try it again. Dates are yet to be confirmed for the 2017 event; but when they are, we would advise booking early to avoid disappointment, as this is an event not to be missed.
You can follow Kedem Europe on twitter to keep up with the latest in Kosher food and events. And be sure to follow along on my travels & get a behind the scenes look at the cultures I experience by following my Instagram Account. I’d love to bring you along for #DoTheDaniel!
Luvs and L’Chayim
Nicola & Brittany